Power Rangers Galaxy Striders
by Roxas is My Sora
Summary: The secrets of the Miranoi and the ancient wars are revealed in this exciting installment of the Power Rangers universe! A new villain, a new ally... and a team chosen by the galaxy itself...  Written by RoxasIsMySora and Animejunkiegrrl
1. Ravaged

_**Episode 01 - Ravaged**_

Space...empty, yet full...immense, yet small. Here, many fates intertwine. Here, many stars gather. And it is here where the balance of the universe was nearly unraveled... as our story begins...

-

In a small corner of the galaxy, far away from the traditional home we call Earth, rested a rather small planet. Its hue was a brilliant tint of green, one which reflected the sunlight admirably. In the vast blackness of space, it was comparable to a diamond in the rough. Even if you were to penetrate the borders of this world, you wouldn't see much of anything still. Much of it is covered in green...as if the planet itself was alive.

However... one particular site on its surface stood out from the rest of the planet. In the midst of the jungles and creatures, stood a city of modern design. It resembled many a city from Earth, if not a bit more advanced in their technology. In the center of this metropolis stood an impressive tower that overlooked the city from all sides. Adjourning the sides of the city were large wall constructs which were mainly used to keep dangerous wildlife out. All in all, it was a safe environment. Even if it was foreign to some still, it was a place to call home. For this was the colony set-up by the inhabitants of Terra Venture, a space exploration colony which crashed on the planet of Miranoi years prior and this same colony was now under seige from a mysterious bout of sabotage. Whenever the people River End, named because of its geographical position next to the Mari river, tried to expand and create new cities...their equipment mysteriously went missing or was broken. Two explorers, whose job it was to map out the jungle for future sites of production, recently happened upon one such site. The first, a young man in a blue-greased top and gray uniform, walked over to the wreckage of what was once apparently some kind of building equipment.

"That's the fifth one this week. What do ya think caused this?" His companion was a blonde woman in a similar outfit, only her top was spotted with a very dark pink. She bent down next to him and examined the debris closely.

"Hmm...looks like it was attacked with something with sheer brute force. Maybe a wild animal?" The young man in blue shook his head.

"I doubt it... an animal wouldn't attack these sites in particular. I mean, look around..." He turned to face the jungle behind him. "The surrounding jungle is untouched. A large animal would have left some kind of tracks." She glanced around to look for herself. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the shadow of a figure who had moved through the trees. She turned to her friend in blue.

"Well, Kai... we should stay with the construction site then. There's one more in the area. If we keep watch, then we can see for ourselves who or what is behind this." The young man, addressed as Kai, replied positively.

"Sounds good, Kendrix. I just need to contact Commander Stanton before we go any further." Setting up the case with the video feed, Kai set out to work on getting it started up. In the meantime, Kendrix occupied herself by looking through the trees for that mysterious figure she saw only moments before. Nothing in the jungle was moving, however... but she could feel it. They were still being watched.

-

The tranquility of Miranoi was disturbed, yes, but it wasn't the only thing being so. Flashing through the galaxy at speeds only told in the realms of fiction, was a giant ball of light. If anything...it resembled a shooting star. Its path was erratic but seemed to be guided towards the emerald sheen planet. Inside the shooting star of sorts, appeared the silhouette of a ship... a very ancient ship that may have been used centuries ago. Cracks lined the vessel's bottom and the sails were slightly tattered from years of fighting fierce winds. As the ship approached Miranoi, a deep, grave voice boomed over the star, bathing it in a red glow.

"Ah...I have finally returned to this wretched rock. But this time... there is no one to stop me!" The voice cackled as the shooting star entered the planet's orbit.

-

"Understood, sir. We'll report what we find immediately." Kai replied to his Commander as the feed cut with both of them performing a respectful salute. He turned his head, his eyes wandering to Kendrix, who was now walking in the direction of the next site. Kai quickly closed the case and ran over, somewhat concerned.

"Kendrix...what's wrong? You're spacing out." She shook her head, putting on a grin.

"Oh...it's nothing. Just had a bad feeling. Must be this jungle heat." Kai wasn't thoroughly convinced, but he wouldn't press the issue. Instead, he walked alongside her as they continued to the next spot. From a tree a few yards away, a pair of wild, untamed eyes were trained on them. The figure who they belong to frowned at their presence. Jumping into the next tree, the mysterious one continued to follow them, plotting their next move.

-

Many miles behind the traveling duo and their mysterious stalker, there was another crisis being handled in River End. Everyone in the perimeter of the expansive tower that loomed over the city was especially in a state of overwhelming panic. Several screens popped up showing images of a large mass of crimson energy getting bigger every moment.

"Sir, the object is coming in faster than we anticipated, and gaining speed. It'll reach the colony in less than 20 minutes." Reported a man in the same suit as Kai. He was slightly taller than the Asian and his outlook on their current situation was grim. The Commander, on the other hand, was easily the most senior in the tower. He had his hands folded as his gaze traveled from the monitors, back to his officer, then back again. He took a moment to respond.

"Do we know its trajectory and exact landing position, Officer Corbett?" Officer Corbett, or Mike as he was often called by his friends, nodded.

"Yes, sir. It's going to impact the river that flows through the city. There are no buildings near it, though, so the damage to the colony itself will be minimal." The Commander processed this and shook his head.

"Let's not leave anything to chance. We need the Rangers." Mike saluted and replied quickly.

"Yes, sir. I'll contact them immediately." He disappeared out of sight leaving the Commander to stand up and walk over to the rather large windows aligning the outer walls. As he looked into the skies, a large red dot began to come into view, clearing itself in focus.

-

"Yes! Full speed ahead!" Thundered a deep voice as the star was nearing the colony at insane speeds never thought possible by mere mortals. Bypassing the tall walls of the city, the star shot right into the lake, leveling the little arbor life that was there. Everything was singed, smoking and charred. The lake itself turned a blood red for a few seconds until it reverted to a crystalline blue. After that, it was as if nothing had happened. The trees were restored and the flames were swallowed whole. Running onto the scene of the crash were three multi-colored figures. Their chests were white, trailed with a black, horizontal zig-zag pattern. The gloves and boots were of similar design to that of the chest, mostly white. Their helmets had the motif of different animals. The one in red twisted his head to survey the area, but he could find nothing out of the ordinary. This confused him and his voice reflected it.

"That's weird. Mike said the thing would crash here... but I don't see anything at all." The one in green was looking around as well as he replied,

"Yeah, everything looks normal. What do ya think is going on, Leo?" He shook his head and replied.

"I don't know. Maya, you have any ideas?" The one in yellow didn't answer because she was too busy looking over the edge of the lake. "Maya?" She bent over placing a hand on the lake's surface and shook her head.

"I can't explain it; it feels like there's something's here that shouldn't be." The other two nodded. They've been around the yellow ranger long enough to know that Maya's intuition about these things were usually, if not always, right.

-

Inside the lake, or rather, at the base of the lake, the star had dispersed most of the energy that had surrounded it so only the ship remained. It stayed at the bottom of the lake, as if resting. The inhabitants of the ship were not happy and the most powerful of them let out a thunderous roar that rippled through most of the lake.

"I WANTED TO LEVEL THIS PLANET IN ONE FELL SWOOP!" Shouted out an infernal figure, his body glowing a brilliant red. He was the epitome of what some would call devilish. His entire appearence, from his bloody-armor to his four glowing golden eyes, seemed to suck the life straight out of the lake.

"N-Now please, Lord Reapus, we would have been obliterated in that blast if you had released all of your power." Pleaded a significantly smaller figure. This one was draped in robes of imperial ages and had the head of what could be considered a squid. In the corner of the large room within the vessel was a woman. She wore a large headdress which covered most of her eyes and was also entirely covered in robes, down to the leather-like gloves she wore. She steadily played her precious shamisen; the music that came from each strum of her pick across the strings wafted through the air like feathers in a breeze.

"You think I can't control my power. Is that is Kalamax?" He loomed over his cowardly subordinate like a vulture would fresh road kill. The side-order to go was terrified.

"Oh, no! Of course not, Lord Reapus! Oh, how funny you should even suggest that. I mean really, can't control your power! Who would even think such a thing?" He laughed nervously. Reapus, who remained completely unemotional in terms of face, simply turned his back and said, quite roughly,

"That's what I thought." The female member of their little group decided at the moment to stop playing her instrument. From her position in the room, she suggested softly,

"Reapus...if you destroyed the entire planet now, you wouldn't have been satisfied. I know you. You love to hear tortured screams." The heck-clad figure took this into consideration and finally nodded.

"I suppose you're right... send a monster to the surface then. I sensed a couple of weak energy signals that may be protecting the planet. Destroy them." With nothing more than a flick of the wrist, the ships began to emit an ominous wail. Shooting out of the ship, zipping through the water was a spectral apparition that stopped and hovered just before the city's Command Tower before taking shape. It was dually colored, with red on the upper half and blue on the lower; the lower half was a large face that resembled a demon's mask. The upper half was a fish-like samurai with appropriate head gear. With an aquatic undertone, it said merrily,

"Ah! Now we can have some fun!" He grinned, unsheathing his relatively large swords. He proceeded to approach the tower, which was easy considering how large it was.

-

Upon arriving at the next site of construction, the two forms of Kendrix and Kai made it their business to inspect everything. Needless to say, it was all in order much to the relief of Kai.

"That means our friend hasn't been here yet. That's good." Kendrix nodded. She was still looking behind them, wondering if that person she saw was still following them. She was about to tell Kai about what she saw...until the sound of a breaking twig caught both of their attention. She looked towards the jungle on her right with Kai's back to hers. They both took defensive stances, wondering just what was tailing them. From his right, Kai caught sight of a fast-moving figure jumping out of the trees and into the light of the site. She was, for all intents and purposes, a real jungle girl. She wore slings of multi-colored beads around her neck and a vest made of rough animal skin that was dyed pink with the color of berries. Her hair was wild and filppant to match her personality. She wielded a primitive spear but did not attack straight away. Curiousity piqued, Kendrix asked calmly,

"Are you the one who's doing all this?" The amazoness woman, when she answered, spoke in a different tongue than either person knew.

"Tey. Voy tyug fra hnikam tiht uenalp zrc." Kai had a weird mix of rememberance and confusion. He turned to Kendrix,

"Do you know what she's saying?" Kendrix shook her head.

"I don't recognize the language...but I felt I've heard it before." The young woman charged them with the spear. She was preparing to deliver the death blow when a small shot was heard behind them. Moments later, as if she was made of stone, the jungle woman dropped like big game, her face to the forest floor. Kendrix cautiously walked over to the woman and saw that caught in her shoulder blade was a very heavy tranquilizer. Looking for the origin, Kai spotted two more people on the horizon. Walking through the trees towards them were two young men; one wore an open gray sweater, with a red tee underneath and the other favored a blue long-sleeve. The red one waved to them, saying,

"Oh, hi there!" He was beaming. Kendrix grinned back at him while Kai focused on the one in blue. The one in red tilted his head and held out his hand for them to shake. "I'm Byron. My friend over there is James. We heard there was some kind of monster out here, so we came to catch it or something." He couldn't help but be embarassed. James shook his head.

"More like this idiot dragged me. I didn't even want to come out here in the first place. We've been lost for two days! It's a good thing we found you guys." He glanced down at the unconcious girl. "Good thing, too. Looks like we found your monster." Byron looked disappointed that the monster was nothing more than a young woman. Kai shook their hands, all the while saying,

"I guess so. We'll have to haul her in for questioning, though...even if we can't understand her." Kendrix nodded. The group of four, plus the culprit, went back through the jungle from whence they came. Once they reached the city wall, the communicators on their wrists began to beep. Kendrix and Kai both looked at each other and quickly said,

"Please take care of her and bring her to the tower. We have...business elsewhere." Shrewdly, the two then ran off leaving Byron and James who was still shaking his head.

"You are too helpful for your own good, Ron... way too good." He sighed, but Byron lit up.

"Aw, come on, James; they asked us to do something important!" Ce beamed. With some arguing and hesitation, the two of them carried their unconcious passenger into the city.

-

"Hold it right there!" Cried out Leo, as he once again donned the red spandex, but this time, his entire team was there with him. The monster turned and laughed.

"Oh, please! You guys are nothing! I won't even have to break a sweat." In a flash, the monster rushed them, swords at the ready. The rangers charged him as well, grabbing the handle on their belts and releasing a full length sword. Meeting in the middle, the rangers began to do battle with the creature. Kendrix and Damon slashed down, aiming for the monster's quite bare torso. Seeing their attack, he dodged and made a quick slash against them, throwing them back after some sparks escaped their suits.

"Kendrix, Damon!" Cried out a concerned Maya. She gripped her sabre and made a stab to the monster's chest. Instead of blocking it, the monster sidestepped and trapped the blade inbetween his arm and chest. Maya, in desperation to pull it out, tried to throw a punch at him. Smirking, he let go of her blade, making her stumble for a few seconds giving him ample time to attack her. Unleashing both of his blades, he slashed an X. Maya cried out in pain as she fell back. Kai and Leo, the last ones standing, powered up their sabres, hoping to take him down with this attack. The monster turned to face them, quite curious about this turn of events. Leo shouted out as their sabres shone brilliantly,

"FIRE!" From their sabres they fired two energy slashes, one red and one blue. The monster threw up his swords and blocked both of the beams, struggling to fight them off. Leo and Kai stared in shock and amazement as the one in blue said,

"He's... fighting it!" And this was true. The blasts were barely moving him back. He stood their for a few more moments, until...

"NnnnNNNNnnnrrrggghhhhhaaa!" Shouted out the monster as he slashed his swords up, deflecting the blasts. The other three rangers managed to walk over, damaged. Leo looked at his team and said finally,

"Okay, guys. We've got one shot left." The team agreed and knew what he was thinking. Throwing their hands into the air, the group shouted out,

"Lights of Orion, Activate!" Instantly, the rangers were enveloped in a brilliant flash of golden light. The monster stepped back a few steps.

"O-Orion?" The rangers stepped out of the light, their suits slightly changed by the addition of bits of armor, like the arm-band embedded with an emerald, the wild claws attached to their hand opposite the sabres, and their belt becoming slightly larger. Performing a group attack, the five rangers ran side by side, energizing and combining into a single ball of light whose intensity rivaled the stars above. The monster dropped his swords and wanted to run away. The rangers were only a few seconds away from victory...

-

Meanwhile, back on the ship of our villains, Reapus was besides himself with fury. He began to roar and pierce the hulls of the ship repeatedly.

"ORION! I SENSE HIS POWER!" With a flame of hatred as strong as the underworld itself, he disappeared from the ship. Kalamax and the slightly older woman stood by. Kalamax was sweating.

"Oh, my! Lord Reapus has that old flame back! This planet is as good as done for now! Isn't that right, Crescenda?" The woman continued playing her instrument, reminiscing. She spoke softly still,

"Yes...he hasn't been this angry since the war with Orion and those rangers." Kalamax nodded.

"Ah, yes...those rangers. We should be thankful that they were killed in the war along with Orion before we were sealed away in that lost galaxy. Otherwise, Lord Reapus would have been unbearable to serve." Crescenda said nothing more on the subject and continued to play her sad song...

-

Right between the monster and the major burst of energy the rangers had fired, a bloody fire appeared. Wielding a giant sword, Reapus swung his mighty power striaght towards the rangers. The blast stopped when it came into contact with his sword. With some ease, he batted the rangers out of the ball, making them scatter on the floor. Reapus tilted his head, surveying the rangers. He grumbled and walked over to them. He put his foot on Leo's chest and started to crush his ribs.

"AGGGHHHH!" The red ranger shouted in pain. Reapus spoke gruffly.

"You guys made me think Orion had come back! YOU WON'T LIVE TO REGRET THAT!" He positioned his sword to cleave off the young ranger's head. Kendrix, moving on sheer willpower alone, tackled Reapus off him. She didn't get far though since he swung his mighty sword down. She held up her sabre to block, but it was like a hot knife through butter; the sabre broke in two as she felt the impact of the sword. Falling down, she started to disappear in a white light. Maya and Kai ran forward to their fallen comrades.

"KENDRIX!" Screamed out a broken Maya. Out of pure rage, she raised her sabre and brought it down on him. Reapus paid her no mind and simply grabbed the blade, crushing it in his bare hands. He gave her a swift stab with the sword's hilt. Maya flew back hitting a cement wall. She slumped down, also fading in white light. Kai and Damon, after making sure Leo was fine to stand on his own, dashed over. Charging their sabres, the blue and green rangers fired their energy slashes at Reapus. He held up his sword horizontally and stopped the blasts in mid-air. The colors of the slashes turned black and red, emitting powerful lightning. He fired them backwards, with double the power. The two rangers flew back from the explosion, their sabres cut into pieces by their own attack. Leo, clutching his chest, tried to reach for his friends.

"KAI! DAMON!" He tried to move forward, but fell over. He looked up and saw both of them disappear in the same way as the girls had. Reapus was unbelivably bored out of his wit. He looked lazily at the red ranger and sighed.

"This is disappointing...and you guys had some of Orion's power to boot." He dragged his sword on the ground and, once again, raised it in a executioner's fashion. Leo rolled over as the blade went into the ground, making deeps scars in the surface, sort of like its own crater. Leo, eyes blazing with his own hatred for this demon, gathered all of the power that his facets could muster, making his sabre glow gold. It poured out flames of such intensity, one would think a supernova was occuring. Reapus shook his head. "You're a pale stand-in for Orion, boy." Leo didn't care what he said. He focused only on one thing: revenge. He rushed forward and gave almighty heave. Reapus casually held up his own sword, expecting to block it again. When their swords clashed, he was startled when Leo was actually pushing him back. "W-What is this?"

Leo broke the contact between their swords and gave a heavy slash downwards, slashing Reapus down the middle. The demon howled in pain.

" ! YOOOOOOUUU INNNNNSOLEEEENT CURRRRR!" He backed away from the red ranger. There was a singed wound in his skin from the impact of the sabre. He clutched it and pointed to him. "I won't forget this...never." He disappeared in the same bloody flames he appeared in. Leo, glad that he was able to inflict a fatal wound, dropped his sabre, which broke into pieces as it hit the floor. He himself fell, flashing in a white light as he disappeared.

... From the broken and shattered sabres, five lights, similar to their owners' ranger colors, shot out of the remains. All the way into the atmosphere they flew until they streaked down at breakneck speeds. They raced back down into the city of River End, breaking up to scatter...

-

At one of the only schools, a young woman was busy cleaning the exterior of a very large blackboard. Her auburn hair was up in a neat bun as she looked outside the window. As she watched her students enjoy their recess, she smiled a little before continuing her duties until a whoosing sound made her look towards the window again. Racing towards her was a yellow-streaked light. Her brain told her to run, but her body couldn't obey, no matter what command it gave. As if it were a spectre, it phased through the glass and hit her with full force. A warm sensation started to fill her, a familiar kind of sensation which she embraced and in a matter of moments...it was over. But the warmth remained. She was confused, but felt comforted at the same time.

-

At the Command Tower, the jungle woman was sitting in a cell, not talking. The Commander and various subordinates had tried to talk to her, but no one had the courage to even continue so she sat in silence. In a moment, she jerked her head up and looked to the ceiling. From several floors above came down a pink light that enveloped around her and she instantly was reminded of something far off Somewhere in her memory, something had triggered. In a brief moment, she felt happy for the first time in a long while. After the light had died down, she sat back down, quiet as ever... but holding onto that sudden feeling.

-

Just above the Tower, adjoining the rooftop, there was a young man in a green long-sleeve wearing a plaid vest-like coat. He was in the middle of reading a book on something of no consequence until he saw it, a green flash hit the roof spot on. Dropping the book momentarily, he was filled with a sudden rush of nostalgia as memories swept over him. They weren't clear or easily remembered, but they were his. He knew that instinctively. He tried to reach out and pull the memories closer, but they vanished with the light. He lightly grasped his hand and wondered what it was as he sat in silence to ponder it.

-

Walking outside the Tower, Byron and James were deep in discussion.

"Honestly, I don't know WHY I let you talk me into these things. Especially since I don't even KNOW you that well." Byron smiled as he replied,

"True...but I can tell you're my friend. That much I know." James sighed.

"What kind of logic is that?" Byron shrugged.

"It's not something you can apply logic to. It's something that you feel...y'know?" Before James could comment further, two flashes, one red and one blue, fell from the sky and impacted the ground the two stood on. Byron and James were now floating in the energy, overwhelmed by it.

"What is this...?" Wondered aloud James. Byron hugged what he could of it and said quietly,

"It's warm..." Then, as if a film was playing, cycles of memories started to play over and over. They weren't distinct, but they could tell they were important. Before they could make any more sense of it, the sensation ended. The young guys looked at each other and nodded in agreement. They needed to know where that light came from.

-

Meanwhile, just outside the planet's orbit, there was a sparkling crystalline star. It was radiating brilliance, but it was cool to the touch. The surface was of such quality that it could have been compared to the most valuable diamonds. Inside the star was a hollow cave. It was massive in and of its own right. In the main chamber, however, there were five pods. Each of them housed a different Galaxy ranger... Leo, Kendrix, Kai, Damon and Maya. They were resting peacefully in these pods. Overlooking them was a woman with pale skin who shone almost as brilliantly as the star itself. She was wrapped in various white fabrics, satin and silk among them. She turned from her charges to the big screen that over looked Miranoi and spoke softly,

"At long last... the seal has been broken. The war will now enter its second act...and this time... it'll have a conclusion."

_TO BE CONTINUED..._


	2. The Stars Have It

**Episode 2-The Stars Have It**

Plumes of white smoke rose from the scorched earth like the living dead as the surrounding landscape near the lake reflected the intensity of the battle that had taken place just moments ago. Broken trees and shattered stones littered the battle-scarred field as two lone figures slowly surveyed the area. The younger of the two scanned the area until they fell upon the remnants of five golden-winged sword hilts. They were the Quasar Sabers his little brother, Leo, and the other Galaxy Rangers used to defend both their manmade world of Terra Venture and their adopted world of Miranoi from Trakeena and her forces. The young officer picked up the hilt that he first removed from the sacred stone and then handed to his brother later on and fell to his knees. His training kept him from expressing his full sorrow, but one lone tear still managed to run down his cheek as he tightly gripped the broken sword in his hand. The elder officer also had deep remorse for the team he was so proud to mentor during their interstellar journey and showed it the best way he knew how-by giving a heartfelt salute to honor the quintet of fallen heroes. After saying a silent prayer, he looked down at the soldier in blue and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"They fought their hardest for Miranoi, Mike." Commander Stanton began as he kept his voice from breaking. "They left this world heroes."

He just couldn't find it in his heart to use the word "die" in front of Mike. Mostly because it would mean that the Commander of Terra Venture would have to force himself to come to grips with the fact that Leo, Maya, Kendrix, Kai and Damon were gone.

"I know, Commander." Mike whispered. "I just can't believe...that..."

Mike and the Commander witnessed the battle with Reapus on screen back at the Command Tower and Mike's screams when he saw his brother and friends cut down by the new threat seemed to echo throughout the building.

"Even with the Lights of Orion...they still couldn't beat him." Mike said in a shaky voice. "How are we supposed to defeat this new guy without the Quasar Sabers?"

"We'll find a way. You brother would want us to keep fighting." Commander Stanton reassured. "Right now...we need to head back to base so that we can explore what options we have available to us. We must keep busy otherwise grief will overtake us. Also, we still have the matter of the construction sabotage...and that mysterious woman to tend to."

"I'll try to question her, sir. But with the language barrier, that's gonna be a tall order." Mike replied with a slight cringe.

As Commander Stanton and Mike woefully walked back to the city of River End, a not-so-triumphant return was going on beneath the surface of the lake as a semi-cleaved Reapus staggered onto his ship.

"Lord Reapus! You have returned!" Kalamax exclaimed happily as he rushed to his master. Unfortunately, Reapus was in no mood for a hero's welcome an unceremoniously shoved Kalamax to the side as he took his throne. "F-f-forgive me, Master. I was just glad you survived. So, that power. Was it, indeed, Orion?"

"It was his power, yes. But his physical form was nowhere to be found." Reapus groaned in pain. "As I thought, Orion is gone for good. Now that I have destroyed those bothersome rangers, his power they wielded has been destroyed as well!"

Crescenda played her shamisen with the grace of a geisha as she looked upon her master.

"But what about your wounds?" She asked with concern.

"Unfortunately, I must remain here until they heal." Reapus lamented as Kalamax handed him his cherished red bowl filled with sake. "But in the meantime, Dualash can continue where I left off."

As if on cue, the multicolored creature in question walked in as if he had accomplished what Lord Reapus, himself, had set out to do. Seeing his minion walk in with such a proud expression angered the devilish lord.

"And continue, I shall." Dualash promised. "Miranoi won't know what hit it."

**"Don't come in here with that smug look!"** Reapus roared causing the vessel to shake. "If it had not been for your show of cowardice in front of the rangers, I wouldn't have needed to step in and take such a beating! As it is, I'm confined to this ship until I completely heal."

Dualash's second mouth which rested on his lower half seemed to give a slight smirk as he rested his sword on his shoulder.

"I shall not fail you, Lord Reapus." He replied with a bow. He was about to turn to leave when Reapus grabbed him by his throat and brought him to within a few inches of his face. He could smell the noxious fumes his breath emitted as his multitude of eyes glowed an eerie yellow.

"For your sake, Dualash...you better not." He growled loudly. "I made a great sacrifice for you to aid in your success today. Don't make me regret my decision."

Though his face was unable to display his fear, his posture was more than capable as he shivered.

"Of course, my lord. I'll destroy this planet in your honor!" Dualash shouted as if he was already victorious.

"Then go forth and wreak havoc!" Reapus ordered.

With a regal bow, Dualash exited the throne room and off of the submerged ship towards the surface of the lake.

***********

Back at the Command Tower, a different kind of battle was shaping up as Mike entered the interrogation room. The guard who was stationed at the door whispered to the Terra Venture officer.

"She's a tough nut to crack, sir. She keeps spouting that weird gibberish." The guard said to Mike in a hushed voice.

Sitting in a chair across from a small table was the jungle woman who was apprehended earlier. She still donned her primitive attire only this time, she wore a fierce scowl and her eyes held such contempt that her stare could put Medusa to shame. Mike, who was a bit intimidated by her intense glare, summoned up his courage and sat in the other chair to begin his investigation.

"Okay...I guess first thing's first. Why don't you tell me your name." Mike asked as cordially, yet professionally, as possible.

The jungle woman just sat there with folded arms and answered in a low voice.

"Zm Fman ti Jracat." She answered in her strange tongue.

"Oookay. Let's try this." Mike continued with a sigh. "Are you the one causing all the construction sabotage?"

"Tey. Voy ena suoy zhtlif tenihcam fra hnikam tiht uenalp zrc." She said, repeating her words from when she met Kendrix and Kai.

Hearing her speak in such a strange language made Mike let out a frustrated sigh. It was bad enough that he didn't understand her, nor she, him, it seemed, but it felt like she had no intention of cooperating. He was about to abandon all hope when...

"Setaw." The young woman said.

"What?" Mike asked in return.

"Setaw. Setaw!" She repeated with urgency. To make the man in blue understand, she cupper her hands and brought them to her lips as if she was drinking something.

"Oh! You want water!" Mike said as a light bulb turned on. When he saw the girl nodding, he turned to the guard and ordered him to bring a glass of water. A few minutes later, he returned and Mike handed the glass to the jungle woman who looked at it and at him weirdly.

"You know...drink." Mike said as he made the motion of drinking from a glass since he figured this was the first one the girl had seen.

The woman kept her eyes trained on Mike as she slowly took a sip from the strange clear container. When her cheeks were full, she spat the water right into Mike's face momentarily blinding him. She, then, grabbed him from across the table and flipped him over her head showing great strength in spite of her petite stature. The guard trained his weapon on the girl, but it was soon proven futile as she spun kicked it right out of his hands. The frustration etched on his face increased as he charged the amazon woman in the hopes of tackling her to the ground. She quickly grabbed him by the shirt and monkey flipped him over her. The momentum caused him to slam in to semi-conscious Mike. Seeing her chance, she took the chair and threw it at the window causing glass to shatter and fall outside. With one last look of contempt, she leapt onto the sill and jumped out to the flagpole that stood outside. Grabbing the rope, she used it as a vine to swing out towards the forest where she used her agility to finish her escape. Back in the interrogation room, Mike and the guard groaned in pain as they struggled to stand.

"Sound the alarm! The prisoner has escaped!" Mike shouted as he made his way to alert Commander Stanton.

***********

On the roof of the same tower, the young man who was trying to figure out the strange glowing orb that entered him earlier was shocked out of his pensive state when the sound of glass breaking and the sight of a woman leaping from the flagpole to the jungle caught his attention. He was further intrigued when sirens started blaring.

"Yikes! What's going on around here?" He asked himself as he ran down the access stairs that led to the roof. A few minutes later, he heard the commotion about the jungle girl escaping and decided to help them by following her trail.

***********

At the school which wasn't too far from the tower, the young woman cleaning blackboards was brought out of her daydream when she saw a pink blur whiz past her window and into the trees. She figured it was some kind of animal but could swear it looked...human.

"What in the..." She gasped as her curiosity go the better of her. In the back of her mind, she was thankful that she was just a teacher's aide as she left the classroom to follow whatever it was that had entered the jungle.

***********

"I'm telling you it wasn't anything bad." Byron said as he and James stood outside the tower. His friend just shot him a look that was a mix of disbelief and utter shock.

"Not bad? Byron, two lights appear out of nowhere, slam into us and the next thing I know, I'm getting these weird mental pictures of things and people I don't even recall." James said in a huff. "If that's not bad, tell me what it is. I'd love to hear your explanation."

Byron took a moment to think and finally gave an answer he thought was acceptable.

"That light...it was..." He began. But before he could finish his thought, alarms started blaring and the pink streak blew past them through the jungle foliage.

"Whoa! Where's the fire!" James asked as guards poured out of the building along with the man from the roof.

"I want you men to spread out through the area! Bring that woman back here alive!" The head guard ordered as the others filed out. "She's wearing pink skins and beads. Don't let her looks fool you; approach with caution!

The description given by the head guard sparked something inside Byron and he remembered the jungle girl he and James helped to bring in.

"Hey, isn't that the girl who's suspected of the sabotage at the construction sites?" James asked before he and Byron were pulled to the side by the man in green.

"I think I saw who...or what you're talking about." The man whispered. "She swung from a flagpole like a monkey and headed into the jungle. If we go now, maybe we can bring her back because it looks like these guys aren't gonna be too easy on her the second go around."

"Sounds good. I really don't want to hurt her." Byron said, his innocence showing.

"Like she **really** didn't wanna hurt those two others?" James asked as he rolled his eyes. "By the way, I'm James and Mr. Sunshine here is Byron."

"I'm Jun. Jun Seiling. Nice to meet you." He said in a friendly voice. "Now, let's go!"

In a flash, the threesome ventured into the forest to find the mysterious jungle girl. As they searched, the heard rustling in some bushes and Byron went to investigate. When he pulled back the large leaves...

"AAAHH!" A young woman shrieked...but she wasn't the one they were searching for. "Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry." Byron apologized. "But...who are you?"

The girl walked out of the leaves and pulled some twigs from her hair.

"My name's Hannah." The Asian girl answered. "I take it you're following some pink blur, too?"

"Yeah; I saw her escape from the Command Tower and swing into the jungle." Jun replied. "And I think these guys were the ones who brought her in the first time. I'm Jun, by the way."

"Byron."

"James."

As the foursome finished their introductions, Byron noticed the battlefield the rangers and Reapus fought on a while ago.

"Guys...look at this!" He gasped as he went to the fight site and discovered the shattered sabers. "Looks like a fight went on here."

"A big one by the looks of it." James added as he picked up one of the hilts. "Also, I'd say whoever held these...lost."

As the group looked over the battlefield, the jungle woman lurked in the trees and glared at the foursome. She felt that they were more destroyers of her precious planet and was about to attack when a huge blast knocks the quartet backwards. When they managed to get a good look at who blasted them, they say the faces of Dualash as he approached them with an army of red and yellow creatures behind him.

"You're picked the wrong place for a field trip, kiddies!" He snarled.

"Did you do this!" Byron asked as he helped up his friends.

"As a matter of fact, I did. Now which of you would like to be my next victim!" He asked as he drew his sword and pointed it at Hannah. "How about we do ladies first?"

"Back off!" Jun shouted as he and the other men stood in front of Hannah.

"How cute! You humans think you can stop me! The last ones I fought thought the same thing...and you just happen to be holding what's left of them." He said pointing to James who was still holding the broken sword hilt. "Grimlings! ATTACK!"

Before any of them could blink, the multicolored demons rushed the group making them defend themselves as best they could. Before long, each one was held in place by two creatures.

"UNNHH! LET US GO!" Hannah cried as she struggled to break free.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." The dual-visaged demon said shaking his head. "My lord and master wants this planet eradicated of all its...vermin. I guess starting with you is as good a place as any! Tell the galaxy rangers I said hello!"

Unable to move, Dualash charged at them with his own blade ready to slice them down. The four young people shouted in terror but before the sword could make contact, spears flew through the air. Some pierced the demons foot soldiers that held the four people captive while some landed in front of the creature stopping him in his tracks.

"Who did that!" Dualash asked angrily.

With a primal cry, the jungle woman in pink leapt from the trees and stood between Dualash and the foursome.

"Fr'uoy hniyortsed fht uenalp!" The girl said in her strange tongue. "Fvael freh, xon!"

"Why are you helping us?" Byron asked the woman innocently.

"Byron, she's saving our lives! Don't ask; appreciate!" James shouted as he took a defensive stance.

Dualash looked this woman up and down and grew enraged that someone was standing up to him.

"How dare you, you little whelp!" He shouted. "You can join your new friends!"

He was about to bring his blade down when five beams of light, similar to the orbs that flew from the broken Quasar sabers, came down from the sky and shone on the five young people. In a flash, they vanished before the demon's eyes only to reappear in what looked like a hollow, crystal cave.

"Whoa...where are we?" Jun asked as he looked around. The others followed suit, each one taking in their new surroundings differently.

"It's beautiful." Hannah whispered in awe.

"Amazing." Byron said with child-like eyes.

"This...place...is...too...much." James added.

"Sahw zrekcirt ti tiht? Enes fm lcab!" The jungle girl ordered. Byron looked at her and saw that she wasn't as comfortable as the others were.

"Hey. What's your name?" Byron asked slowly. "My...name...is...Byron."

The jungle girl looked at the doe faced boy and glared at him.

"Tacari. And I can understand you just fine so please don't act like dirt is smarter than you." She said with contempt in her voice.

"Ouch!" James said with a slight chuckle. "Okay...now that intros are out of the way...anyone know how we got here? And where is here?"

"I believe I can answer that." Said a feminine voice.

The door opened and in walked a tall woman shrouded in radiant silken sheets and robes. The light reflecting from the crystals made the white cloth shimmer giving her an ethereal glow. Her appearance had everyone there awestruck, including Tacari.

"Who are you?" Byron asked for the umpteenth time that day.

The woman smiled lightly under her veil.

"I am Celeste. I brought you here because I need your help." She began. "That monster you encountered...is only the beginning."

"What do you mean...'the beginning'?" Jun asked worriedly. "You mean there's more of him!"

"Many more. And they all are under the command of Lord Reapus." She started as she led the fivesome through the crystal cave. "That star that collided on your planet was his ship. A millennia ago, he and his generals waged a great war across the galaxy that nearly destroyed everything in its wake. Countless lives were lost ane more blood would have been shed if not for the rangers. Along with myself and Orion, we were able to defeat Reapus and his Styxerians...but at a great cost."

"What happened?" Hannah asked with interest.

"I was gravely wounded and burned from the attack. In truth, I'm still in the process of healing even after a thousand years." Celeste admitted. "Also, the original rangers lost their lives in battle so Orion captured their essence in five Quasar sabers and placed them in a stone on your planet until they were needed. When the time came, the five chosen ones would rise up to defeat the evil that threatened them."

"Wait...Quasar sabers?" James asked. "You mean the Galaxy Rangers?"

"Yes. You hold one of the broken sabers in your hand." She said pointing to James. "I was hoping that I'd seen the last of Lord Reapus, but it looks like I was mistaken. He's returned and stronger than I feared."

"But, if he beat the rangers...where are they now?" Jun asked.

"Follow me." Celeste gently ordered.

She took the five people through the crystalline caverns until they came upon the main chamber where five shining pods stood. Inside them were the five Galaxy rangers. The sight made Byron and the others gasp in shock.

"They-they're..." Hannah stammered.

"They're not dead, child. They're in stasis. Or as you would call it, 'suspended animation'." Celeste explained.

"But if they're here...who's going to fight that thing that almost killed us?" Byron asked worriedly.

"Remember how I mentioned that the Quasar sabers chose these warriors?" When the fivesome nodded, she continued. "Well...when the sabers were shattered, their essence was released to find five new warriors...you."

The silence in the room was enough to hear a pin drop.

"Excuse me?" James asked in disbelief.

"When the sabers were destroyed, five orbs of power were released and sent to choose new warriors. The spirits of the ancient rangers have chosen you." Celeste said with a smile reaching her eyes which were the only things visible. "I'm asking you now; do you accept?"

Each person took a moment to think about Celeste's request.

"I'm in!" Jun piped up.

"Me, too." Hanna answered.

"I got nothing better to do; why not?" James said in his usual aloof manner.

"Of course, I'll help." Byron accepted. Now all that was left was Tacari.

"No! I won't fight with them!" Tacari exclaimed. That outburst surprised the other four and Celeste.

"Why not?" Byron asked innocently. "What did we do to you?"

"It's the planet! You're killing it with your machines. Gouging the earth and pulling up any plants you come across...in my eyes, you're no better than Reapus!" The jungle woman glared.

"Tacari...I understand your stance on this. But, please, help us fight him. If you don't, Reapus will prevail and there won't be anything left of the planet you call home." Celeste's eyes reflected the desperation she held. "If not for us...join to save Miranoi."

It was no secret that Tacari hated the development of her planet and the people in charge of it with a passion, but for all the hatred her heart held for them, she held more love for her beloved planet. She would do anything to preserve it.

"For Miranoi...ONLY for Miranoi." She stressed.

"Thank you. Now that you all accept, I must perform the ritual to give you your powers."

Celeste waved her hand and five crystal podiums rose from the floor, each one a different shape. One by one, the robed woman asked the five people to stand on one. Once the youngsters were in place, Celeste spoke again.

"So...what happens now?" Jun asked as he stood on the square crystal.

"Each of you has the essence of one of the ancient rangers, but they must deem you worthy of receiving such power. This ritual will seal the pact and infuse you with power beyond imagining."

Celeste closed her eyes and began to sing a haunting, yet beautiful melody which activated the crystals under them. Each one started to glow white and the orbs of the ancient rangers' essence floated outside their bodies. The multicolored balls of light grew and soon took the shape of the ranger who wielded their power a thousand years ago. The ghosts of the rangers looked upon the ones who would carry on their mission and nodded in approval.

"O, great rangers. Do you find these young ones, worthy of your power?" Celeste asked singing slightly.

"We do." The red figure agreed with the others nodding in response. "Endow them with all our power."

As Celeste kept singing, a window opened up above them so they could see the trillions of stars that blanketed the black sky. Five groups of stars in particular started to twinkle brilliantly as their stellar energy formed into comets of light. As the multicolored streaks hit the rangers' essence, both energies combined and the orbs reentered the five as they did before.

"That was..." James began.

"Amazing." Tacari finished.

"I'm glad you liked that. Celeste said grinning under her veil. "I have something else for you."

The robed woman sighed in relief as she waved her hand over a console that flipped over to reveal five red contraptions. "These are your Galactic Stroke Morphers." She said as she flipped one open to unveil its paintbrush-like tip. "To activate your powers, shout 'Ride the Nova!'" One by one, she handed the five youngsters their new morphers. "More will be made available to you as you fight."

Hannah looked at her morpher and her doubts started to rise.

"Do you really think we can do this? I mean...if **they** couldn't..."

"I know you can." Celeste said reassuring the young girl. As she was about to console Hannah, an alarm blared causing a screen to appear in front of her. The images she saw were very disturbing as Dualash proceeded to attack the city of River's End.

"Looks like we get to take these bad boys for a test drive! Sweet!" James shouted happily.

Tacari watched as Dualash laid waste to some of the buildings and she smirked inwardly to herself. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all. But she remembered what Celeste said about Reapus and his horde destroying her home and she regained her focus.

"Let's hurry!" She said urgently.

"Yeah, but...how do we get back?" Byron asked.

"I shall send you back down. Good luck." With a wave of her hand, the same five lights that brought them to her star sent them back to their home planet...and right in the middle of the chaos Dualash and his Grimlings were causing. People were scattering in every direction to escape the carnage.

"That's it! Burn this city to the ground! Leave nothing breathing!" Dualash ordered harshly as he prepared to slash one of the buildings from its foundation.

"Stop!" Byron shouted as he and the others stood defiantly in front of the building.

"Ahh! I see you're back to take your medicine like good little children!" Dualash scoffed.

"The only one getting anything shoved down his throat is you!" James shot back as he pointed at the two-faced demon.

"Is that so?" Dualash laughed mockingly. "And just who's gonna put me in my place?"

"That would be us!" Byron answered with determination crossing his innocent face. "Ready!" He asked the others.

"Ready!" They answered back as all five flipped open their morphers to reveal the brush tips. When they were ready, they all shouted:

**"RIDE THE NOVA!"**

Byron stands in front of a fiery background as a red comet shoots out. The young man rides the flaming body through the blackness of space, using his Galactic Stroke Morpher to write his symbol in the stars. The stars connect, form the symbol and adhere themselves to his body to form his suit and helmet. The comet, with Byron on board, zooms through the planet's atmosphere. His body is ablaze with power as he lands in his full ranger form. Soon, the others follow suit with Hannah in front of a rocky landscape, Jun standing in front of a forest, Tacari with clouds behind her and James with an ocean landscape behind him. Comets of yellow, pink, green and blue carried them into the cosmos as they mirrored Byron's movements by writing their symbols and attaining their ranger suits. As did the red ranger before them, they all reentered the planet's atmosphere, their bodies burning like the sun, as they touched down.

**"FIERY AS THE PLANET'S CORE! GALAXY STRIDER RED!"** Byron shouted.

**"UNPREDICTABLE AS A TSUNAMI! GALAXY STRIDER BLUE!"** James called out.

**"FIERCE AS A WINDSTORM! GALAXY STRIDER PINK!"** Tacari said with confidence.

**"STRONG AS A FOREST! GALAXY STRIDER GREEN!"** Jun exclaimed.

**"STEADY AS A MOUNTAIN! GALAXY STRIDER YELLOW!"** Hannah shouted.

**"We protect this planet with the power of the stars! POWER RANGERS: GALAXY STRIDERS!"** The fivesome shouted as they struck their heroic pose.

"Hmmph! I'm not impressed!" Dualash scoffed. "Grimlings, ATTACK!"

Soon, dozens of shogun demons rushed the five rangers until they meshed in battle. Swords clashed fiercely as each ranger fought with a good sized group displaying different fighting styles. James and Jun were more brutish with their moves while Hannah and Byron showed more finesse. Tacari proved that despite being a ranger, she still used her primal instincts to battle the grimlings by jumping over them and clawing at them along with using her sword. When it looked like the rangers would get the upper hand, the number of grimlings increased and the tables began to turn.

"Um...I'm not a tactical genius, but I think we're losing!" Jun shouted as he was slowly becoming overrun.

"And you call yourself a warrior!" Tacari scolded as she kept fighting.

"He's got a point, Tacari!" James said as he was grabbed by the legs.

"What are we gonna do?" Hannah asked as she joined the others.

"Rangers..." Celeste's voice blanketed the battlefield causing every fighter to look up for a moment. "Spin the discs on your swords. Greater powers are at your disposal! Use them and fight valiantly!"

"Okay, Celeste!" Byron called out as her voice faded. "Let's try it out."

The red ranger spun the disc resting on his sword hilt until it and the emblem inside shone like brilliant rubies.

**"Nova Bihänder!"** He shouted. In a flash, his small sword turned into a massive red bladed weapon that was almost as big as he was. **"Star Disc ALPHA!"** Byron then opened the golden buckle on his belt and placed the red disc inside into his new equipment. "Everyone, duck!"

"Oh, crap!" James shouted as he and the others quickly hit the ground. With all of his strength, Byron swung his mighty weapon and took out a throng of grimlings in one pass.

"Wow! Did you see that?" He asked as he ran head first into another group and began swinging.

"Nice! I gotta try that!" James shouted as he followed suit. He spun the disc on his hilt until it began to glow blue. **"Nebula Bogen!"** In his hands was a powerful bow and he, too, opened his buckle to place the disc onto his new weapon. "**Star Disc BETA!** Round two!" He yelled with a smirk under his helmet. He pulled back the plunger and shimmering blue arrows flew through the air to pierce his section of grimlings until they exploded.

The Pink Ranger immediately spun her sword's disc.

**"Celestial Fan!"** Tacari shouted, not wasting time with idle banter. In her hands was a large pink and white fan. **"Star Disc GAMMA!"** She placed her buckle's disc onto her weapon and began to wail on every grimling that came within a few inches of her. Despite her graceful moves, she still fought with the ferocity of a wild animal.

"My turn!" Hannah yelled as she spun her disc. **"Star Grazer!"** In a blink of an eye, her sword transformed into a tri-bladed weapon. **"Star disc EPSILON!"** She locked her buckle's disk in place and used her grazer as a defensive weapon blocking the grimlings' swords from making contact with her. When she had the chance, she threw her Star Grazer like a boomerang at a throng of oncoming demons and mowed them down like a runaway buzz saw.

"Whoa! Too close!" Jun shouted as a couple of blades came within inches of cutting off his head. **"Astral Lancer!"** He shouted as his sword switched from his primary weapon to a very long spear. "Hey, Tacari! Maybe we should switch weapons!" He shouted to her.

"Maybe **I** should switch **teammates**!" She shot back as she kept fighting.

"Ooookay...**Star Disk DELTA!**" He placed his buckle's disc onto his weapon and swung it much like Byron did with his sword, but with more control and speed. When he spied another group coming at him, he launched himself over them using his spear as a pole vault before slashing the grimlings with his new weapon. This went on until the only one left to fight the rangers was Dualash.

"Impossible!" The double-faced demon shouted in disbelief. "How can my forces be defeated by mere...CHILDREN!"

Byron gripped his bihänder tightly as he glared at Dualash under his helmet.

"We'll show you who's a child! HAAAAAAAHH!"

Before anyone could stop him, the red ranger charged at the two-faced monster with reckless abandon. Dualash fired his lasers at him only to have them deflected by his weapon's massive blade.

"Byron!" Jun shouted.

"I knew it. The guy has lost his mind! You idiot!" James scolded in frustration.

"Is he always this reckless?" Hannah asked with concern.

"If he is, we'll be looking for a new leader before the day's out." Tacari chimed in with folded arms.

Ignoring the others, Byron swung his massive sword and pushed Dualash back like a football training dummy until he pinned him to a wall. With one might spin, Byron cleaved the hulking enemy until he was reduced cinders in a huge explosion, much to the delight of his comrades.

"Man...that was sick!" James shouted as he patted his friend.

"I'm glad that's over." Hannah sighed.

It's not over. I can feel it." Tacari warned.

Tacari's warning would come to fruition as the flames from the explosion were sucked back into Dualash's body causing it to grow as tall as the city's skyscrapers.

"You pesky rangers! I'll grind you under my heels like bugs!" And he proceeded to do just that. Luckily, the rangers dodged out of the way.

"Yikes! Okay, this wasn't covered in the manual!" James shouted. "How are we supposed to fight that!"

"Rangers...hold out your hands!" Celeste ordered.

As if to answer his query, five colored orbs shot through the sky and landed in the upturned palms of each ranger. The light faded revealing contraption that were the same shapes as the podiums the stood on when they were on Celeste's star.

"These are your zords. Use them in conjunction with your morphers." She advised.

"We will! Thank you!" Byron called up before looking to his teammates. **"ALPHA LION!"** He shouted, crossing his arms in front of him.

He set his device on the ground and drew a symbol over it until it grew to massive proportions. The device unfolded to reveal that it was, in fact, a lion zord.

"Man! We got some cool toys! Come on, guys!" James urged. **"BETA DRAGON!"**

**"GAMMA TURTLE!"**

**"DELTA BEAR!"**

**"EPSILON MONKEY!"**

The four remaining rangers mimicked Byron's movements and soon his red lion was joined by his fellow zords in combat. Seeing the stampede, Dualash fired lasers from his swords in an attempt to stop them, but to no avail.

"That's what I'm talkin' about!" James shouted happily.

"Stop acting like a child! This isn't a game!" Tacari hissed under her helmet.

"Lady, are you always this bitter?" James asked, shaking his head. Hannah just decided that keeping quiet was the best option.

"I'll go in first!" Byron said as he charged forward. His Alpha lion gave a mighty roar as it passed the giant demon, striking him in the process.

"Hey, save some for us!" James scolded.

"I'm going in!" Hannah said gaining a bit of confidence. Her monkey leapt ahead and pounded Dualash with it's simian fists before using its agility to swing to the top of a building. Once there, it folded back into its triangle and rolled on top of Dualash knocking the swords from his hands.

"My turn."

The Pink Ranger folded her turtle zord and hurled herself towards the towering shogun like a frisbee only to be knocked down by an overhead forearm. The next thing she knew, she was in the second set of the monster's jaws.

"Get your teeth off of me!" She shouted.

"Hang on!" Jun rushed in with his Delta Bear and began to slash at the demon like a mother grizzly.

"Why you impudent little-" Dualash snarled as he picked up the green bear. But Jun just folded back into a square and landed on his toe causing him great pain.

"Let's move!" The Green Ranger ordered.

"Right!" Tacari agreed as they rolled away to regroup.

"Leave this to a pro!" James said smugly as his zord hit Dualash square in the face in his folded form. "Now for the real fun to begin!" His Beta Dragon shot blue flames from its mouth roasting the shogun menace.

"We have weapons, too? I have to try!" Byron said sounding more like a kid on Christmas than a warrior. Pulling his sword out, he spun the disc and shouted: **"ALPHA LION METEOR!"** His zord soon took the shape of a flaming jet and rocketed towards a dazed Dualash. With a forceful thrust of his sword, the red ranger urged his lion on until it collided with Dualash in a massive explosion ending his life.

The five rangers, now demorphed, stood in the middle of the city and looked down at their compact zords.

"We...we did it. We actually did it!" James shouted. "Man, this is too wild!"

"I know. This is just surreal!" Hannah sighed, thankful that it was over.

"You have done well, rangers." Celeste's voice echoed. "But be warned, this was only a portion of Reapus' power. You mustn't let your guard down for a moment."

"We won't let you down." Jun replied looking up.

"So...what now?" Byron asked wondering what to do next.

"I will contact you when the need arises. Until then, get some rest." Celeste ordered before fading out leaving the five newest rangers to their own devices.

"I guess...I guess we go home for now." Byron wondered aloud.

"Nobody's gonna believe this one." Jun whispered to himself. "Question...who's gonna be teaching us to use this stuff? I mean, we had Celeste's help before. That last fight was luck because I'm not that great a fighter."

"Neither am I, but we made out alright." Hannah surmised. "But, I still think we can do this."

"And it's that very thinking that will get you all killed." Tacari sneered. "You treat this like a child's game when everything's on the line."

By now, James had had enough of the jungle woman's rants about one thing or another and was about to set her straight...or so he thought.

"Okay, lady! I don't know what bug crawled up your butt, and being from the jungle, I'm sure that happens a lot, but why do you keep bagging on us?" He asked furiously. "And what makes you think you're such a better fighter than us, anyway?"

Tacari shot a piercing glare at the blue ranger before grabbing his wrist and throwing him into some low hanging vines.

"Ask me when you can block that." She shot back at the now upside down James. She started to walk away from the other rangers when Byron grabbed her arm gently.

"Wait." He pleaded. "I know we got off on the wrong foot...with us hitting you with that tranquilizer dart..."

"That was you!" She shouted.

"BUT...I think we can learn a lot from each other. We could definitely use your fighting skills. Maybe...you can teach us some things." Byron asked with his baby face.

"Maybe. Maybe not." She said jumping into a nearby tree. "When you need me..."

"We can come find you?" Byron interrupted.

"No...**I'll** find **you**." The jungle woman answered with a stone face before swinging into her jungle home.

"You think we'll see her again?" Byron asked with a tilted head making the others look at him weirdly.

"Uh...she's on the team so...yeah." James answered with a roll of his eyes. _"This is gonna be a long war!"_ He thought as he and the others went their separate ways for now.

***********

Meanwhile, back on Reapus' ship...

**"SHE'S STILL ALIVE!"** Reapus roared causing the vessel to shake. **"HOW DID SHE MANAGE TO SURVIVE!"**

"I-I-I have no idea, Lord Reapus!" Kalamax stammered fearfully. "She's craftier than we anticipated."

**"WHAT DID YOU SAY!"** He snapped at his vassal.

"I-I-I meant 'we' as in Crescenda and I. Of course you knew all along about Celeste's resourcefulness, my lord." The squid-like general sais as he corrected himself.

"Resourceful, indeed. She even managed to recruit children to fight her battles for her...which means she is also too injured to fight." Reapus reasoned as he looked through his portal. "Enjoy your victory now, Celeste. But mark my words. Soon, I'll be the one to bring down the curtain on your final act!"

=====

_One group of rangers falls and another one rises to the challenge. But will the young people be ready for all that Reapus has to offer? Stay tuned._

=====

End of Act Two


	3. Uneasy Alliance

**Chapter 3: Uneasy Alliance**

Darkness has fallen over the city of River's End and the citizens of the developing city were all resting comfortably in their homes. Five, in particular, were resting after their inaugural battle with Reapus and his legion of demonic underlings. Hannah was in her modest home grading papers while Jun slept in his quarters in the Command Tower. Tacari found solace sleeping in the jungle canopy with various creatures keeping her company. Elsewhere in the city, the remaining two rangers shared an apartment where one was trying to fall asleep. "Trying" was the appropriate word because his roommate, the young man chosen to be the red ranger, was busy looking out his window at the twinkling stars above and making conversation.

"James? You think Celeste is looking down on us right now?" Byron asked innocently. "I mean, I know she kinda has to since she gave us these powers, but maybe she checks on us every once in a while?"

James let out a slow groan as he was woken up from his light slumber.

"Ron..." He began using his nickname for his friend. "It's kinda hard for her not to look down considering she's all the way up there." He said as he pointed his finger at the ceiling to make his point.

"Yeah." Byron said as he continued to look up at the heavenly bodies. "The stars are pretty, aren't they? And Celeste lives on one of them. Wow! Kinda makes you wonder what else is out there. Maybe we're not completely alone in..."

"I swear, if you finish that sentence, I'll smack you with this pillow." James warned. But as much as he wanted to get mad at his wistful friend, he couldn't stay mad at him. He did find that partial statement ironic seeing as how they were on a planet that people back on Earth probably fantasize about when they ask the same question. "Dude, why are you making such a big deal out of it? So she lives on a star." James said with a heavy sigh.

"It's not just that." Byron said as he turned to look James in the face. "It's being chosen to be rangers, it's these powers, it's...well...everything! Before, it was just you and me. Now it's you, me, Jun, Hannah and..."

"Jane of the Jungle?" James interrupted with a smirk. "Hannah and Jun I can deal with, but her? Being chosen to save the world would be cooler if I didn't have that amazon chick for a teammate. Oh, and by the way, thank you so much for coming back for me after she judo threw me into those vines." He said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Byron couldn't help but chuckle at his buddy's misfortune.

"What? Okay, I'm sorry I didn't come back. But, you got cut down, right?"

"After hanging upside down for three hours!" James shouted. "The guards who finally cut me down nearly arrested me because they thought I was drunk! Let them hang by their knees with the blood rushing to their heads for three hours and we'll see how coordinated they walk!" He grumbled.

The youthful faced red ranger just let out a sigh as James ranted.

"Well...it **was** sorta your fault. You could have been a little nicer to her." Byron said in the jungle girl's defense.

"**I** could have been-Byron, she did nothing but ride us during that last battle!" James protested but when he saw that Byron still seemed to take Tacari's side, the blue ranger just shook his head in defeat. "Whatever, man. That chick just needs to lighten up." James said letting a yawn escape. "And you need to get some sleep. That Reapus guy could attack anytime so the sooner we can et some shut-eye, the better."

"In a minute. I wanna look at the sky some more." Byron replied as he turned back to look out his window.

"One minute. Then lights out!" James ordered as he turned over and put the pillow over his head.

One minute passed, then another...then another until Byron could hear the faint snoring of his friend. The doe-eyed ranger continued to look up at the stars as if he were in a trance. It was almost as if he were looking for answers. Little did he know that answers would be revealed in time...along with more questions.

*********

Meanwhile...

Things weren't as serene for those aboard Reapus' ship. The tension was so thick after Dualash's crushing defeat, the crimson devil himself could cut it with a katana. The only things that kept Reapus from snapping was his sake and Crescenda playing her shamisen.

"Celeste...you've been a thorn in my side for centuries." Reapus mused to himself. "You've managed to find more children to fight your battles for you."

"Perhaps, my lord, we can use their inexperience to our advantage." Kalamax suggested.

"What do you mean?" The devil lord asked his vassal.

"What I mean is that there may be some chinks in their armor you can exploit. Being that this is their first time working as a team, I'm sure there are some underlying issues among the rangers." The squid-like advisor explained.

"From what I've seen, the pink one doesn't seem very happy to be associated with the others." Crescenda pointed out as she strummed her shamisen. "She might be their weak link."

Reapus took a moment to mull over his underlings' suggestions and thought that it was worth a try.

"Sounds promising. And I may have someone who can find her weak spot. Cerberado! Come forth!"

From the depths of the lake came a monster that appeared to be a cross between a weasel and a centipede. The fearsome creature boarded the ship with spiky sword in hand and knelt before Reapus.

"You called, my lord?" Cerberado asked.

"Indeed. I want you to target the pink ranger."

"How would you like her destroyed?" Cerberado asked a little to eagerly.

"Oh, I don't want her destroyed...yet. I want you to find out her weakness and see if you can use that to get her to side with us." Reapus ordered. "I want to finish off those rangers from within!"

"Ah, an inside job of sorts." The weasel demon snickered. "She'll be under our wing."

"And the rangers will be out of my hair!" Reapus chuckled evilly. "Now, go!"

"As you wish!"

Cerberado bowed before leaving to carry out his orders. He knew the price of failure and that was incentive enough for him to succeed.

***********

The next morning, the sun rose over the riverside city and shone brightly over the people below. Most of the citizens answered back by either hitting the snooze buttons on their alarm clocks or by covering their heads with their bed sheets. Jun, however, was a rare breed. He was the type who woke up before dawn and today w as no exception. He decided that today was nice enough to go out for a jog so he left the Command Tower wearing a green and white track suit and ran through the streets. This was one of the few times during the day where he had the chance to enjoy nature and clear his head but his peace was interrupted when he heard the sounds of someone in distress.

"Uhhhh. Oh, come on. Just a bit more..." Said the female voice as she struggled with her books. "Who knew being a teacher's aide was as much work as being an actual teacher?"

The young woman kept grumbling until she lost her footing. Her books tumbles to the ground and the graded papers inside were floating away thanks to the breeze.

"Oh, no!" She shouted as she tried to grab her papers.

"I got it!" Jun yelled as he jumped into the air and caught every wayward piece of paper before they flew away for good. "Here." He said as he handed the lady her papers. It wasn't until she took them in her hands that Jun realized the woman was Hannah.

"Thanks. I would have had to do this over again." She said softly.

"N-no problem." The green ranger stammered slightly. "Nice day out, huh?" _"Nice day out? I can't do better than that?"_ He thought to himself.

"Yeah...it is." Hannah replied as she looked at her watch. "Oh! I better get going." She scrambles to gather her things but she was having some difficulty.

"Here. Lemme help." Jun offered.

"N-no; you don't have-I mean..."

Jun gently smiled at the flustered yellow ranger as he picked up some of her books.

"I know, I don't have to."

"Thanks." Hannah replied with a soft smile of her own. "I like getting to the school early to set up for class."

"So, you're a teacher, then?" Jun asked.

"Teacher's aide." She corrected. "I'm doing my small part educate the kids until I get my license. It's good practice for the real thing."

Jun nodded as he saw that they had something in common. They both made a habit of getting an early start on the day.

"Now, that's admirable." He nodded. "We need more teachers around here." _"Especially pretty ones."_ He thought to himself as they walked to the school.

"So...what do you do?" She asked. She wanted to know a bit more about her new green teammate.

"I work in the Archeology Department at the Command Tower." Jun answered. "I help translate the writings found on some of the ancient ruins and artifacts we uncover."

"Wow! That sounds exciting." Hannah smiled. "Maybe I can convince the teachers here to take the kids on a field trip up there someday."

"That sounds like a good idea. I can run it by Commander Stanton when I get back." Jun agreed as the twosome arrived at the front of the school. Being a gentleman, the green ranger opened the door for Hannah and placed her books on her large desk. "There you go. Oh, and speaking of Commander Stanton, I better get to the tower. My shift starts in a few."

"Oh...well, I guess I'll see you around?" The yellow ranger asked hopefully.

"Definitely." Jun said with a smile before jogging out leaving Hannah to set up for her first class.

***********

While some were getting their day started in the city, others were trying to do the same thing in the more undeveloped part of River's End but a certain jungle woman was making that task nearly impossible. She was up before any other human and her handiwork was being found by the construction workers.

"Man! Not again!" The foreman shouted. He and his men found their bulldozers and tools destroyed beyond recognition. "I thought she was being held at the Tower!"

"She was...but she escaped yesterday." One of his workers informed his boss.

"This is getting old! Men, we can't finish our work until we bring her in so, for now, our mission is to catch that jungle girl before she ruins any more equipment!"

His men cheered as they essentially turned into a posse. Their bounty...Tacari.

***********

Back at the Command Tower, Mike and Commander Stanton were going over the footage they caught of the battle with Dualash and the new group of rangers that arrived on the scene. When the double faced creature appeared with his horde of Grimlings, everyone in the tower feared the worst since the news of the Galaxy Rangers' demise reached them. But when they saw the new quintet of rangers fighting the menace, hope was quickly restored as well some curiosity. Just where did they come from and, more importantly, who were they? Mike and Commander Stanton were both working hard to find the answers.

"I can't believe that out of all the footage here, there's not one clue to their identities." Mike sighed.

"Well, we're gonna comb through every frame until we find something." Commander Stanton said with authority. "Once we do find out who they are, I want you to bring them here. Right now they're our best hope."

"Yes, sir." Mike saluted with a drawn out yawn as Commander Stanton shook his head in jest.

"Why don't you go for a walk? Get some fresh air." He suggested.

"Good call." Mike agreed. "I won't be long."

With another salute, Mike left the main control room and went out of the building passing Jun in the process. If only the former Magna Defender knew that Jun was one of the heroes he was searching for.

*********

Meanwhile, James and Byron were in the plaza getting some breakfast and enjoying the nice day when Mike passed by. Byron looked up from his sandwich at the man in blue and focused on his face. Something about him seemed oddly familiar to the upbeat red ranger and his gaze caught the attention of Mike who had the feeling that someone was watching him.

"Um...can I help you?" Mike asked the young man.

"Beg pardon?" Byron asked oblivious to the fact that he was even staring at the Terra Venture officer.

Mike just looked at the guy like he grew a second head. Was he really this much of a space cadet?

"You've been staring at me for the past few minutes." Mike clarified.

Byron kept looking at the taller man intensely as if staring at him would jog something in his mind.

"You...really...look familiar." Byron said in a whisper. "Are you sure we haven't met somewhere before?"

"Uh...I doubt it." Mike said as he backed up. This wide eyed kid was making the Terra Venture officer grow more and more uncomfortable. James felt that the conversation was getting awkward by the minute and he decided to step in before things totally went south.

"Yeah! I am really sorry about my overly eager friend." James began as he grabbed Byron's arm. "He hasn't taken his medication this morning. We'll just be on our way! Bye!"

In a swift move, James pulled a confused Byron into an alley to talk some sense into him.

"Dude? What is your malfunction?" The blue ranger asked. "Why were you staring at that guy?"

"I-I dunno! I just got this weird feeling that I've seen him somewhere before and...wait! Why did you tell him I hadn't taken my medication!"

"Well, with the look you had on your face, I either had to tell him you were an incurable optimist...or you were on something. The latter seemed more believable so I went with that. Consider that payback for leaving me in those vines." James said simply making Byron shake his head in disbelief.

Just as Byron was about to protest, Celeste's voice was heard in the rangers' minds.

_"Rangers. Another one of Reapus' generals has appeared in the city square! He's close to your location."_ She urged.

"Okay...that was weird." James said in awe. Hearing voices in your head wasn't something the blue ranger had expected.

"We're on our way!" Byron replied. "Come on. The others are probably on their way there now!"

"Let's hope so." The blue ranger said as he and his friend ran to the location.

At the school, Hannah had also heard Celeste's voice and excused herself since the students were in the middle of a test. Jun was two steps away from entering the Command Tower when he heard the call to arms and Tacari was already swinging through the treetops towards the disturbance.

At the city square, Cerberado and his legion of minions were terrorizing all of the citizens of River's End who were out conducting business.

"Miserable humans!" He growled. "Your very presence is littering my lord's dominion! And it's about time I exterminate! Grimlings, round up any human who tries to scurry away!"

With an evil glint in his eyes, Cerberado used the centipede-like appendage wrapped around his body as a savage whip.

**"DEVIL'S WHIPLASH!"** He shouted as his weapon extended to reach a building that was hundreds of yards away. The impact sliced the building in two sending debris tumbling down upon the helpless. He was set to repeat the process when...

"HEY!" Byron shouted at the multiple bladed creature. "Leave this city alone!"

Cerberado halted his attack when he saw Byron and his friends standing defiantly in front of him.

"Looks like Reapus didn't learn his lesson." James scoffed.

"I agree. So how about we teach him not to mess with us?" Jun asked as he glared at the newest threat.

"You're finally starting to make sense." Tacari nodded as she got ready to fight.

"Ready?" Byron asked pulling out his Galactic Stroke Morpher.

"Ready!" The others shouted following suit.

**"RIDE THE NOVA!"**

The fivesome went through their morphing sequences in space and landed back on Miranoi.

"So you're the ones giving my lord trouble!" Cerberado asked condescendingly. "Hard to believe that humans are causing such problems for Reapus."

"Maybe you'll believe it when we destroy you!" Tacari snarled.

"Not likely. Grimlings, take them down!"

In an instant, shogun demons and rangers meshed in battle as swords clashed.

"I'm not wasting any time!" The blue ranger quickly spun the black disc on his sword hilt. **"Nebula Bogen! Star Disc BETA!" **James quickly placed the blue disc on his bow and fired off rounds of shimmering water arrows at the grimlings.

**"Celestial Fan! Star Disc GAMMA!"** The pink ranger called for her weapon and slashed at the red and yellow underlings with might swings.

**"Astral Lancer! Star Disc DELTA!" **Jun was the next to call for his weapon of choice and with it, he jabbed the bladed end into one grimling and catapulted him into his evil comrades.

**"Star Grazer! Star Disc EPSILON!"** Hannah's sword transformed into her tri-bladed weapon and she quickly threw it frisbee style at her horde of chattering demons. "Not how I wanted to spend the morning!" She shouted to her friends.

As the other rangers tangled with the grimlings, Byron was going head to head with Cerberado. With his Nova Bihänder in hand, the red ranger and the weasel general fought like two alpha males vying for top position in the pack.

"You think you and your rangers can stop us? Lord Reapus is all powerful!" Cerberado screamed as his curved sword nearly makes contact with Byron's body. With a swift move, the red ranger narrowly blocks the sword with his own.

"I don't think...I KNOW we'll stop you!" Byron said with conviction. "We won't let you hurt any more people!"

"We'll see about that!"

Cerberado struck Byron in the chest with a powerful kick before coming down with his spiked sword. Byron brought it up to block in time and returned the favor by swinging his Nova Bihänder down. Neither combatant was gaining an advantage over the other as the other rangers were finishing up with the grimlings.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I'd rather be grading papers right now!" Hannah shouted as she threw her Star Grazer at the last of the shogun demons. The triple blades struck down the grimlings in its path and, unfortunately, kept on flying towards Byron.

"Whoa!" He shouted as he just barely dodged.

"Loophole!" Cerberado shouted as swing his large sword like a baseball bat. The force knocks the red ranger into a nearby building making an impression in the concrete.

"Byron!" Hannah shouts caught the attention of the other rangers who rushed to their friend's aid. "I'm so sorry!"

"Not half as sorry as you're gonna be! **DEVIL'S WHIPLASH!**"

"Look out!" Tacari shouted.

But it was too late. The centipede-like appendage whipped out from Cerberado's head and connected with all five rangers in a devastating attack. The force of the blow left all five rangers demorphed and writhing in pain.

"This is the hope of Miranoi? What a joke!" With that, Cerberado vanished without a trace leaving Byron and his team to wonder what went wrong.

"Yikes! Was it just me or was that guy stronger than the last one?" James asked as he struggled to stand.

"It wasn't just you." Jun groaned in pain. "That was just brutal!"

"Tell me about it!" Hannah whispered as she stood. "What now?"

"We learn from this and grow stronger. That's what." Tacari said seriously as she got up. James looked over at his pink teammate and glared daggers at her.

"Do you ever have anything positive to say?" James asked.

"We're alive." She said in a deadpan manner.

"Hey! You can't get more positive than that. He could have killed us." Byron said, grinning through the pain. "Besides, we have to help all these people. Some may be hurt."

"**You** help! I'm not staying here any longer than I have to."

Before anyone could say anything to the contrary, Tacari ran to the nearest tree and swung back into the jungle leaving the others to help the injured.

"Can you believe her!" James growled. "GAH! She is the most aggravating..."

"Just let it go." Jun said simply. "Let's just help these people."

Everyone agreed and started with the rescue efforts. While that was going on, Mike and Commander Stanton were shocked to learn four of the five identities of the rangers. One, in particular was the most shocking out of them all.

"Jun?" Mike whispered. "He's one of them, sir. He's one of the new rangers."

Commander Stanton looked at the screen and nodded to himself.

"Mike, I want you to take some soldiers and go to the square. Bring those people here."

"Yes, sir!"

Mike ordered four of his soldiers to go with him to the square. If they were the rangers from the last fight, they could use some help in the form of someone who's been there and done that. A little while later, as the rangers gathered the injured to be taken to the hospital, they were approached by Mike and his soldiers.

"Jun?" Mike said to the green ranger.

"Sir. What are you doing here?" Jun asked in surprise. When he saw the other soldiers, he had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. "What did I do?"

"I need you and your friends to come with us." The former Magna Defender ordered.

"Whatever it is, we didn't do it!" James shouted as held his hands up. "We're innocent!"

"You're not under arrest. My commander just has a proposition for you."

Jun looked at Mike and knew that he was on the level but the others weren't so sure. Hannah looked anxious and James' face reflected distrust. With the three of them unclear of what to do, all eyes fell on Byron.

"It can't hurt to hear him out, right?" Byron said with the innocence of a child.

"If talking's all he wants to do, I'm all for it." Hannah agreed.

"Looks like we have a meeting to go to." James nodded.

"Follow me."

Mike led the four rangers to the Command Tower so they could meet Commander Stanton and, hopefully, train them so they could be more formidable.

"Welcome. I'm Commander Stanton. I see you've already met Mike." He said with a small smile.

Mike took a good look at the quartet and when his eyes landed on Byron and James, his eyes widened.

"As a matter of fact, I've met these two earlier this morning." He said pointing to the red and blue rangers.

"Yeah, I thought I saw you somewhere before!" Byron said happily making James groan in annoyance. "I'm Byron and this is James."

"Hey." The blue ranger greeted simply.

"Hannah. I guess you already know Jun." The yellow ranger added. "In any rate...just why have you asked us to come here?"

"To be honest, the reason I've asked you all to come is because we know you're Power Rangers." Mike explained. "My commander and I both feel that we can help you."

"So, wait. Just what do you know about the Power Rangers?" James asked.

"More than you realize, young man." It was at that time that Commander Stanton stepped in and took over the conversation. "You see, I was once the mentor of a group of rangers years ago. Mike was a part of them as well so we do have some experience."

Mike looked over the foursome and his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Wait...I thought there were five of you." He asked making Byron and company cringe. They knew who the pink ranger was but they weren't sure HE wanted to know.

"Well..." Jun began.

"Um..." Hannah stalled.

"You see, the thing is..." James stammered.

"Come on! Don't leave me in suspense. Who is she?" Mike wondered. Seeing as how the others weren't forthcoming with this information, he was more anxious to know the answer.

Byron was about to spill the beans when a commotion outside the door caught their attention. The sounds of guards shouting made them turn their heads, but what got their attention the most was the distinct sound of a woman screaming in an unintelligible language.

"Hold on to her! She's a scrapper!" One guard warned as he and three others brought in a struggling Tacari. "We caught her tampering with more of the cranes and bulldozers!"

**"Ueg suoy zhtlif tdnah gfo go fm! Uel fm pg!"** She shouted. **"J s'now uel voy qeek hnillik tiht uenalp!"**

Enraged, Tacari kicked one of the guards in the shins. As he yelled out in pain, she flipped the two holding her arms over her shoulders. The last guard drew his weapon and trained it on the feisty jungle woman; this made Byron and the others stand in front of her protectively.

"Don't shoot her!" Byron pleaded.

"Byron, why are you protecting this woman? She's the one causing all the construction sabotage these past few months!" Mike explained.

"Um...how can I put this delicately?" Byron said trying to lessen the blow he knew would be coming. "Remember the missing ranger you asked about just a second ago?"

"Yeah." Mike replied wondering where Byron was going with this.

"Well...they just arrested her. TA-DA!" The red ranger said with a flourish and a stupid grin on his face.

There was an awkward pause before Mike's face slowly began to match Byron's sweater.

"WHAT! You mean...SHE...HER!" Mike stammered. "Oh, you have GOT to be kidding me! How did she get to be a ranger?"

"T'taht fnon go suoy tsenisub!" Tacari snarled at Mike.

"What did you say?" Mike asked angrily.

"She said, 'that's none of your business'." Jun translated making Tacari look at him with confusion.

"How did you know that?" The pink ranger asked.

"My job here is to translate old ruins and artifacts." Jun explained. "I'm not fluent in it, but I can read and understand Miranoian."

"Can we get back to the real issue here?" Mike interrupted. "She shouldn't be a ranger! She should be in jail for her actions!"

"I'm trying to save what's left of Miranoi!" Tacari shot back.

"I don't care what you're trying to do! You can't go around destroying property! We need those machines to build our homes!"

"So, in order to build YOUR homes you have to destroy MINE!" Tacari asked angrily. "I knew it! You're no better than those who you call evil! As long as you're still killing everything in sight with your faceless monsters, I won't fight with you!"

Just like last time, the amazon leapt onto the window sill and jumped out to the flagpole sanding outside. One more great leap took her to the jungle canopy where she disappeared among the vines.

"Tacari, wait!" Hannah shouted as she ran to the window. But it was too late. Tacari was nowhere to be found. "Guys, we have to go after her!"

"I say let her go! If she feels that strongly about us, then we don't need her!" James chimed in. "I can't believe I defended her from that guard! I should have let him shoot her."

"That's a terrible thing to say!" Hannah scolded.

"Byron, what do YOU think? You're our leader, after all." Jun said looking at the red ranger.

Byron looked out the window that led to the jungle and sighed. He could see the points made by both sides, but one point overrode both arguments: they were in charge of stopping Reapus and they couldn't do that without Tacari.

"Guys, if we're going to defeat Reapus, we need Tacari so we're going after her. All of us!" Byron stressed.

"I still think it's a mistake, but it's your call, bro." James conceded.

"Then we better hurry. Who knows when Cerberado will return." Jun replied.

Mike just stood there and listened to the remaining four rangers debate on whether or not to look for the belligerent jungle woman and when he heard Byron make their choice for them, he sighed. All he knew was that it was better that they looked for her instead of him considering their history.

"We'll be back...and I still can't shake the fact that I've seen you somewhere..." Byron said with a tilt of his head.

"We can play 20 questions later!" James said pulling his friend out of the room and soon they were making their way into the jungle.

The foursome had a new mission: find Tacari and convince her to come back to the team. The search would be like looking for a needle in a haystack since their pink ranger had lots of experience blending into her jungle surroundings. While the rangers split up to look for their friend, Cerberado was also looking for Tacari, but he had an ulterior motive.

"Now where can the little jungle girl be?" He hummed to himself as he looked up. As if on cue, Tacari was swinging from vines to get as far away from the tower as she could. "Ah, there you are." He sneered as he used his whip to cut the vine she was going to grab next. The miss made Tacari fall, but the agile woman righted herself in time to land on her feet.

"Who's there?" She asked angrily.

"Just someone who wants to talk." Cerberado said in a low tone.

"We have nothing to talk about! Leave!"

"Not until you hear me out." Cerberado said as he walked closer to her. Tacari took a fighting stance in case he tried anything. "Why the defensive stance? Don't you trust me?"

"No." Tacari answered bluntly. Her quick answer made the monster chuckle sinisterly.

"Well, my dear, as much as you despise me, I'm sure you detest all these buildings popping up and destroying your lovely home even more. Am I right?"

Tacari kept her guard up as Cerberado circled her.

"What business is that of yours?" She asked skeptically.

Well, I, too, don't like what the humans are doing to this planet." He lied. "Miranoi was a lush planet before the humans colonized it. Don't you want things back to the way they were? Don't you miss swimming in crystal clear water? Eating fruit free from pesticides? I know you miss breathing fresh, clean air."

"So, what if I do?" Tacari asked. "Your mission is to destroy...not preserve!"

"But I destroy TO preserve. As do you." He pointed out. "You see, we're not that different, you and I. I think we could make an exceptional team. What do you say?"

Tacari took a moment to think about Cerberado's words. In a way, they did hold some truth, but she also thought back to Celeste's words and how she needed their help. Tacari may not have been wise about too many things, but she could still tell when someone was lying to her.

"I say...**tsik zm tsa!**"

Tacari cartwheel kicked Cerberado away from her long enough to make her escape to a nearby tree.

"Tell Reapus we don't make deals with evil!" She shouted as she swung away.

Cerberado watched in defeat as his quarry made her escape through the treetops.

"Blasted girl!" He snarled to himself. "It's clear that words don't work on her. Perhaps seeing is believing."

A plan hatched in his brain as he made his way to one of the construction sites. He wanted to cause more than just structural damage. As he made his way into town, the other rangers kept up their search for Tacari and were about to give up when Celeste's voice rang through their minds.

_"Rangers! Cerberado is causing havoc at one of the construction sites by the school district!"_

"We're on our way, but we can't find Tacari!" Byron replied worriedly.

_"She'll be there, but you're needed immediately."_ Celeste urged. _"Please hurry!"_

Hannah looked down at her Stroke morpher and spoke into it.

"She's right, guys. We can't wait for Tacari. If he's at the school district, then the kids are in danger."

Byron and the other rangers agreed and soon left the jungle in haste.

"I just hope she comes to her senses." Byron thought as he ran.

***********

On the outskirts of the school district, Cerberado and his grimlings threatened the workers by destroying the half-completed buildings and all of their equipment. It was a lot like what Tacari did, but on a much grander and much more destructive scale.

"Leave nothing standing! Show these humans that their destruction of Miranoi won't be tolerated!" He shouted loudly enough for Tacari to hear. _"Hopefully she'll see this and believe I'm telling the truth."_ He thought.

"You're full of it!" Byron shouted as he, Jun, Hannah and James arrived in full ranger gear. They made quick work of the underlings and faced Cerberado. "We know full well you have no interest in protecting anything!"

"And who are you to decide that?" He shot back. "In any rate, you should me more concerned with protecting yourselves! **DEVIL'S WHIPLASH!**"

Byron managed to dodge the attack by rolling to the side but the others were knocked back into some debris. The blue, green and yellow rangers were slowly getting back on their feet when they caught sight of an unmorphed Tacari watching the red ranger run with a full head of steam at Cerberado.

"Tacari!" Hannah shouted as she went to the pink ranger. "I knew you'd come! Morph so we can help Byron."

"No." She answered. "I said I wouldn't fight with you and I meant it."

James grew angry and confronted the jungle woman.

"What is the matter with you?" He asked furiously. "Look, I know you don't like us. But why take your hatred out on someone who hasn't done anything to you?"

"Because that's what you're doing to this planet!" Tacari answered. "Why do you think I destroy all of your machines? Not only do they destroy my home, they kill countless animals. What I do, I do to protect them. They're innocent! Not like you care."

Hannah was about to voice her opinion when she saw Byron rush past Cerberado and his drawn sword and over to a crumbling wall. He went behind it and came back out with a little boy who was hiding.

"You bothersome pest! Die where you stand!" Cerberado growled as he attacked Byron and the small boy.

"I gotcha, kid!" Byron reassured the scared child.

"Oh, no? Then look at Byron." Hannah ordered as she pointed to the red ranger fending off Cerberado with a sword in one hand and clinging to the child with the other. "That child is also innocent. What you say we're doing to the planet is no different than what Cerberado is doing right now. Don't you see? We're all really fighting for the same thing: to protect the innocent...all of them. But we can't do that without you, Tacari."

Jun stepped in hoping that a united front would convince the jungle girl to join with them again.

"She's right. We need your help. Don't we, James?"

James looked at Jun and Hannah and heaved a defeated sigh.

"Come on back to the team, okay? You don't even have to do it for me. Do it for them." James said pointing to Byron and the little boy.

Tacari kept watching as Byron fought for his and the little boy's life. The entire time, she could hear him say "it's okay" and "I won't let anything happen to you". After a few tense moments of silence, Tacari pulled out her Stroke Morpher.

**"RIDE THE NOVA!"**

Tacari quickly morphed into her pink ranger garb and drew her sword.

"Let's help him out!" She shouted as she ran forward.

"It's about time!" James groaned as he, Jun and Hannah ran to aid Byron.

The red ranger in question kept fighting until the sound of the boy's mother cut through the battle.

"Corey!"

"Mommy!" The boy shouted. As Byron too him to his worried mother.

"Thank you so much!" She replied tearfully.

"You're welcome. Now get somewhere safe!" He ordered.

As the mother and child ran as fast as they could away from the combat, Cerberado saw this as his chance to take down at least one ranger.

"You love giving me openings, don't you? **DEVIL'S WHIPLASH!**"

Cerberado whirled his centipede whip and was poised to strike down Byron when his back was turned until...

"Not today!" Shouted four familiar voices.

In a show of unity, the blue, green, yellow and pink rangers leapt into the air and slashed at the weasel's menacing whip preventing it from striking the red ranger.

"You okay, man?" James asked as they ran to check on their friend.

"Yeah, you came just in time." Byron sighed. "He's one tough cookie!"

_"I believe I have something you can use."_ Celeste added through her mental link with the rangers. _"Combine your star discs with your striders. I think you'll like the outcome."_ She said with a smile in her voice.

"If you say so." Byron said as he went first. He opened his golden buckle, pulled out his red star disc and gave it a spin. Soon his strider blade was engulfed in swirls of fire. "Check it out!"

"Nice!" James shouted excitedly as he and the others mirrored their leader's actions. As expected, each ranger's element surrounded their blades. James' blade was infused with ribbons of water while Hannah's had waves of yellow earth circling hers. Tacari's sword had the power of glittering wisps of air and Jun's sword had shimmering leaves appear.

_"These are your Aurora Blades. They're much more powerful than your original striders."_ Celeste explained.

"Celeste, I like your style!" James nodded.

"Let's show him what real power is!" Byron ordered as they all shouted:

**"AURORA BLADES! CELESTIAL STRIKE!"**

All five rangers run at Cerberado and each one lands a devestating blow to the demon, their element exploding in the process. The sounds of their zord animals echo throughout the site until they all stop with swords outstretched. Blue lightning sizzles across Cerberado's body until he falls limp and explodes.

"That was incredible!" James exclaimed.

"It's not over yet." Tacari warned.

"You blasted rangers!" Cerberado growled angrily as he grew to humongous proportions.

"No time to waste, guys! **ALPHA LION!**" Byron shouted.

**"BETA DRAGON!"**

**"GAMMA TURTLE!"**

**"DELTA BEAR!"**

**"EPSILON MONKEY!"**

They all laid their devices on the ground and drew the star symbol to make them grow into their zords.

"I won't be beaten by toys!" Cerberado shouted as his sword sent a powerful dust storm at the zords. The gale force was enough to temporarily blow them backwards.

"We're not strong enough!" Hannah said worriedly.

_"You will be."_ Celeste corrected through the mental link. _"The five of you have the power to combine your zords into a mighty warrior. The Strider King Megazord."_

"Okay, Celeste. We'll try it!" Jun agreed.

"Let's get this party started!" James shouted. **"STRIDER KING MEGAZORD...UNITE!"**

Soon the dragon, monkey, turtle and bear zords folded back into their original forms and stacked one on top of the other with green on the bottom, blue, pink and yellow on top. James looked at their handiwork and, to say the least, was very confused.

"Are...we supposed to look like this? Something doesn't click!"

"Uh...I think we goofed!" Hannah observed.

"We look like a totem pole!" Tacari shouted.

"I was gonna say shish kabob, but totem pole works, too." James said jokingly.

"Never mind the fact that you totally left me out! Thanks!" Byron said slightly hurt.

"Cut us some slack. We're new at this!" Jun said in their defense.

"I have no time for childish games! FORE!" Cerberado shouted as he swung his sword like a golf club and knocked the green zord from the bottom. This sent the other zords tumbling to the ground.

_"Use the stars to guide you to victory."_ Celeste suggested.

"Okay. Sorry about that." Byron apologized as he took out his stroke morpher. He drew the symbol for "unite" in the air. **"ZORDS UNITE!"**

Soon, the lion zord opened up and rearranged itself to form the head and torso while the yellow and pink zords formed the arms. The green and blue zords went on to form the legs with an extra component flying off of the dragon zord. The arms snapped on to the red torso before the upper half attached itself to the legs. The extra piece that flew off formed the regal shogun helmet that the megazord would wear into battle. The chinstrap materialized and a long sword with the five animals etched into the blade appeared.. In th cockpit, the five rangers appeared in front of podiums that housed their strider swords.

**"STRIDER KING MEGAZORD!"** They shouted in unison as the complete robotic warrior stood atop a cliff.

"Amazing!" Jun said in awe.

"Even I have to agree with you." Tacari nodded.

"But the last one was kinda funny." James chuckled.

"Guys, we have to focus! He's coming!" Byron warned as the others got their heads in the game.

Cerberado charged at the new megazord ready to send it to the recycling bin.

**"STELLAR SABER!"** Byron yelled.

The megazord drew its sword and brought it up to block the attack before pushing the monster backwards. Angered that he didn't have the advantage, Cerberado wildly swung his sword downward but the Strider King sidestepped in time.

"Swing and a miss!" James shouted tauntingly.

Cerberado tried to connect with his sword again but the megazord ducked the blow causing the demon to cleave the building behind them.

"Missed again!" Byron chided.

This time, it was the rangers' turn to strike, and strike they did. With a fluid swing, they caught the giant demon with a powerful slash slicing him and the scaffolded structure behind him.

"Yes! We're winning!" Jun shouted.

"I refuse to lose to the likes of you! SUPER GRIMLINGS! ATTACK!"

Soon, enlarged versions of the usual red and yellow shogun demons emerged from the cracks between the buildings and surrounded the Strider King Megazord.

"What! Oh, so not cool!" James grumbled in protest.

"How did they get so big?" Hannah asked worriedly.

The super grimlings engaged the megazord in a fierce battle as swords clashed and sparks flew. Fearing the megazord had the upper hand, some of the grimlings threw chains to ensnare the robotic warrior. They then sent pulses of energy through the chains causing explosions to bombard the rangers.

"Oh, come on! Chains, too!" James shouted.

"What do we do?" Hannah asked unsure of their next move.

"I got this! **ALPHA LION! FLAMING ROAR!**"

A stream of fire blew from the lips of the Alpha Lion and roasted the super grimlings long enough for their grips on the chains to loosen. The Strider King them yanked on the chains so hard, the force sent the grimlings flying into each other before they hit the ground. Before they had time to recover, the megazord slashed his sword cutting the shogun demons that surrounded it. Each one fell with sparks flying from their bodies.

"No! I won't be defeated like this! Slice him to ribbons!" Cerberado ordered his remaining grimlings.

But the Strider King stood firm as he cut each one down with a single slash. Byron and his teammates pulled their swords from their podiums and pointed at Cerberado. The megazord mimicked the ranger's move and pointed its Stellar Saber at the quaking demon.

"Time to finish this!" Byron said calmly.

**"STELLAR SABER! COSMIC SLASH!"**

The rangers spun the discs on their striders and a quintet of colored lights orbited in a circle creating brilliant glow. As it shone, the etchings on the Stellar Saber lit up like a Christmas tree from hilt to tip. A shower of sparks rained down on the area as the Strider King brought his sword around for the deathblow. All five brought their swords down in a brutal slashing motion and the megazord followed suit. A flash of light streaked as the giant blade connected to Cerberado one last time. The sparks from the sky and the ones from the demons body merged as he fell to the ground. The explosion produced multicolored smoke signaling the end of Cerberado. Then, true to his form, the Strider King Megazord put away his sword just as the code of Bushido dictates.

***********

Back at the Command Tower, Byron and company stood in Commander Stanton's presence as he addressed the heroes.

"You did well, rangers. The city of River's End is in your debt."

"You don't have to thank us, sir." Byron smiled.

"Yeah, we're just doing our part to protect everyone and everything on Miranoi." Jun said with a nod.

As he group was enjoying the praise, a few of the guards entered the room and immediately drew their weapons at Tacari.

"Stop!" Mike ordered. "Put down your weapons!"

"But, sir! She's the saboteur! An escaped one at that!" The head guard replied. "We have to arrest her!"

"Maybe you didn't hear me the first time. I said put...them...down!" Mike warned sternly. "She's officially been pardoned..provided she agrees to work with the rangers until Reapus is defeated."

The jungle woman gave Mike a cold look but slowly softened to the point where she didn't look as fierce. She couldn't very well save her home if she's locked up.

"I'll agree...if you agree to stop the construction." Tacari bargained. If she was gonna put up something in good faith, so would they.

"But...that would severely put the workers behind schedule!" The guard reasoned.

"Well..." Byron began hesitantly. "She has a point. I mean, why keep building new things if they're only gonna get knocked down by monsters anyway? Right? Wouldn't it be better to wait until the 50 story demons are beaten?"

Now, it was Mike's turn to mull over the terms. After a few moments of silence...

"Okay. Agreed." Mike nodded.

"Agreed." Tacari parroted.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Hannah sighed with relief. "I was afraid that we'd have a war of our own."

"No...it would dishonor the galaxy rangers' memories." The pink ranger said seriously. "I'd rather die than do that."

Those words made Mike and Commander Stanton bow their heads in respect. Byron looked over the officer's shoulder to see the broken Quasar Saber hilt in a glass case with photos of the five rangers. Each picture had a plaque with a heartfelt epithet . Byron went to take a closer look at the memorial and his eyes widened in recognition.

"Mike? Why do you have these guys in a glass case?" He asked innocently.

Mike turned to stand next to the inquisitive young man.

"Because these guys were the Galaxy Rangers that saved Terra Venture and Miranoi years ago. They were also my best friends." He said as he tried not to break down. "That one...was my little brother. He and the others fought to their last breath a few days ago against a new threat."

"I knew you looked familiar!" Byron said excitedly. "But...he's not dead. None of them are, really."

"What do you mean they're not dead?" Mike asked a bit angry that Byron would joke about this.

"I mean we saw him and the others yesterday." Byron clarified. "They're alive...kinda."

It was then that Mike looked at the wide-eyed youth pleadingly.

"Tell me where he is, please!" Mike begged.

Just then, a glowing orb of light appeared in the center of the room and took the shape of Celeste.

"Celeste!" The Strider Rangers exclaimed.

"Young man, I can answer your questions." She said in a soft voice. "Follow me."

A shaft of light appeared and teleported the rangers, Mike and Commander Stanton to her star. Mike and Stanton looked around and they were just as awestruck as the others were when they first arrived.

"Wow! This is so unreal!" Mike gasped.

"Astounding!" Stanton agreed. "Where are we?"

"You are on my star." Celeste explained as she appeared. "Your brother and his friends are resting here."

With a wave of her hand, she revealed the pods the Galaxy Rangers were kept. Mike went to his brother's pod and gently placed his hand against the crystal case.

"They-they're really alive?" He asked hopefully.

"A little worse for wear, but yes." Celeste said honestly. "I brought them here so they can regain their strength and I brought these warriors to continue the fight against Reapus and his minions."

She told them the story of the war that ended a thousand years ago and the connection with her and the original Quasar sabers. She also told them how a greater power had found their way into these five young people.

"So, you see, their being chosen was no mistake." The robed woman nodded. "So, tell me...how do you know the Galaxy Rangers?"

"This one..." Mike said pointing to Leo. "...is my little brother. I pulled out the Quasar Saber along with them. I was originally chosen to fight but Furio launched the attack that turned everyone on Miranoi to stone. As we ran, the ground opened up and I almost fell in. Leo grabbed my hand and tried to pull me up but he wasn't strong enough. I knew I wouldn't be able to hang on so I gave him the saber and told him to take my place. Luckily, I survived and came back as the Magna Defender." A lone tear slid down his cheek as he retold the story.

"No way! That was YOU!" Jun asked as Mike just nodded.

"It's rare that the Quasar saber chose two who were worthy of wielding its power." Celeste explained. "It proves that you both had what it took to be a ranger. Mike...since you have experience with the rangers, I was wondering if you would help me in mentoring them. It wouldn't be wise to bring them here often because it would leave Miranoi unguarded."

"I'd be honored." Mike smiled and bowed. "I think I can whip these guys into shape. Although, one's already in shape." He said looking at Tacari. "I'm twice your size! How did you throw me?"

"She threw you, too!" James asked in shock. "Well, at least she didn't judo throw you into vines."

Mike chuckled as he looked at the jungle woman.

"Maybe I can persuade you to teach me that throw sometime?" He asked.

"You'd have to offer me something else for that to happen." She smirked.

Mike took a moment to think about the offer...

"I...think I'll pass." He conceded making everyone there laugh.

======

And so begins a new chapter in the rangers' quest to rid their world of Lord Reapus. The agreement made with the pink ranger and Mike is a huge step in mending a few bridges, but how many more bridges will be burned along the way?

======

End of Act Three


	4. Second Chances, Pt I

**Chapter 4 - Second Chances, Part I**

A droplet of dew steadily trickled down the vein of a leaf, evident of the passing rain fall. A short storm had danced it's way through the jungle and happened to also grace the city with great force. Tropical storms were fairly common on Miranoi, as the inhabitants found out in their first tenure of living there many years back. Despite this, the city, and the buildings wherein, were resistant to those hurricane force winds and torrential downpours. Such a storm had passed by, leaving much of the city unharmed. The outskirts surronding the city of River's End however... that was certainly a mess.

The lovely backdrop of the jungle, just at the base of the city, was completely ransacked, scattering many leaves and debris consisting of thin trees and saplings. There were puddles of mud and water present in every which way the jungle floor was open. Clearly this wasn't the day for a hiking trip. Unfortunately... one particular person lacks such sense. Or rather... he doesn't get it readily.

Trudging through the moist and humid jungle grounds, wearing customary hiking gear, complete with an obsidian and garnet design, was the incurable optimist, Byron. Wiping a bit of sweat from his forehead, he made it to the top of a small pile of fallen arbors, taking a good look around to assess the damage. He sighed as he reached into his bag, feeling around for the object he needed. In a moment, in his hand was a small notebook and a writing utensil with a similar design, as it was a matching set. Byron mumbled to himself as he began to scribble down his own observations.

"I was hoping to run into Tacari if I came out here... she said she's stay within at least 40 miles..." As if on cue, a whoosh of wind blew past the young man, knocking him over into the mud. Within a few seconds of the assault, he started to hear some more incomprehensible shouting come from above him. He grinned and sat up, looking up at his attacker.

"Hnittes b moitcurtsnoc ftis eniheb zm lcab? J xenk J u'ndluoc usurt neht! J mliw... Oh..." The attacker revealed herself to be the wild and wonderfully confrontational Tacari. She stopped her ramblings as her eyes laid on Byron. She turned away, clearly embarassed at her mistake... not that she'd admit to it. Byron just sat there in an indian-esque pose, with quite a large smile on his face. Neither said anything for a few minutes, making the whole thing seem incredibly awkward. Feeling the need to actually communicate, Tacari finally turned back around and addressed Byron, recovering her dignity, "... You shouldn't come wandering in here... I don't want to accidentally do something I'll regret later."

Byron shurgged off this dark premonition and said sweetly, "But, since you won't come to the city, save for emergencies, we can hardly know you. I came out here... to get to know you." Tacari's folded arms began to soften a fraction lighter, but she didn't let her surprise register on her face, instead, she shot back another question,

"I understand we happen to be a team, but you don't NEED to know me, why go through the trouble?" Byron placed a hand under his chin and looked up for a minute. He seemed to be deep in thought. When he looked back at Tacari, his expression was blank as he responded,

"I want to be your friend, isn't that a good enough reason?" She took a few moments to process this and her lips curved into a smooth smile, if only for a brief second. She turned her back to Byron and started to head into the jungle. Byron jumped and shouted out, "Wait!" Tacari stopped just before the foliage had consumed her. She turned her head slightly and said softly,

"You're naive... I don't know why, but that's one of your better qualities Byron..." With that, she disappeared into the moist green maze. Byron scratched his head and sighed.

"Man, I was hoping we could talk more... ah well, at least I got to see her, so it's not a total waste." As Byron headed back, his eye caught the sight of something gleaming in the low light that penetrated the jungle's canopies. Another rather endearing qualities was his insatiable curiousity. With a quick jump and a few paces forward, he was standing atop what he assumed was an uprooted tree. deeply embedded into the trunk was a circular object, shining orange, as if it was alive. Byron stared at the disc for a while. In the back of his mind, he knew that he had seen something similar to this... but where? It was recent too.

"Huh... where have I seen this...?" The feeling was nagging at him as he tried to think. As if to help him, the disc-like object began to glow bright, like a star. "Star...? Oh wait! That's right! This is the same as our Star Discs!" Byron grasped the disc and dislodged it from the trunk. In the intrum of this, a bright light shot out of the hole which the disc was sealed in. Byron didn't have the attention to notice, he was too excited over the disc... a potential increase to their firepower. But the light flew off the planet, shooting straight off in a path that was parallel to Celeste's star.

-

Meanwhile, on the brilliant star itself, the ever-potent beauty of Celeste was in deep meditation. She was positioned atop of a spherical crystal, opaque in appearence, yet sparkled with the intensity of the star. Her eyes were shut while her body was fixed into a praying position. She stayed like this for many hours, the only time her concentration giving out was when a monster had attacked. She broke out of her conciousness and sighed.

"It's almost done... but I'm sure it will take many more days before it is finally complete..." she subconciously rubbed her arm, which was now bare, with no cloth to cover it. Trailing down from her shoulder to the wrist was a gruesome scar, it stood out in stark comparsion with her skin, which was a luminscent white with its crimson bloody hue. She raised her head to the stars around her, letting her eyes wander. She spoke next with a hollow tone,

"These stars are losing there luster without you... Orion..." She continued to stare into space, her mind lost in her own memories. The hand that was rubbing her arm suddenly stopped. Celeste instead used it to slowly reach into the void of darkness that was space, a face full of clear longing.

Without a hint of warning however, she jerked her head back towards the monitor of the planet, something catching her attention. As her eyes graced the screen, she was just in time to catch the sight of a flash of light... no... that wasn't an accurate description...

"That's...!" Celeste quickly dashed over to the monitor, searching around the atmosphere. "I thought he sealed them into the planet forever... why would they appear now?" She kept searching for the light, but by now it escaped her. With a grim look, she turned to the planet and whispered, "Which one was it...?" Her worry was increasing ten fold. If she was correct about the light that had passed her... the people of Miranoi, including the rangers themselves, were in grave danger...

-

"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!" roared the infernal lord himself, Reapus. The news of his monster's defeat had come down many hours prior... and he still hasn't grasped his calm yet. Fuming with rage, he pointed at the cowardly minion before him. The squid-headed monster backstepped a bit in fear.

"Y-you must understand L-Lord Reapus... he obviously was not strong enough..." Reapus didn't take kindly to this and lashed back,

"ARE YOU SAYING MY MINIONS ARE INEFFECTIVE KALAMAX?" The squid quickly shook his head in a variety of directions that implied a 'no'. He vocalized this in a stutter.

"O-of course not! W-why would you think of such a thing! The Lord has quite an imagination doesn't he C-Crescenda?" Across the room from them, the solitary mistress played her sad and often slow song on her shimasen. She didn't interrupt her playing, but she did offer a reply dryly,

"Really Kalamax? I heard the same thing too." Kalamax eyed her with anger aand muttered under his breath,

"Miserable witch." She smirked as she continued playing, quite undisturbed. Reapus, his eyes glowing a feral chrome, reached his hand towards the immense sword the laid at his belt. Kalamax quickly fell to his knees and pleaded, quite pitiably, for his life.

"OH PLEASE LORD REAPUS! SPARE ME! I WILL NOT MAKE SUCH A HEINOUS MISTAKE AGAIN!" Before the demon's hand was grasped around the hilt, something made him look up, deep into the sky above them, above the waters even. He let his hand down, something registering on his face. He then turned his back to the both of his minions and said roughly,

"Kalamax... you're spared for now. I still have some use for you... Crescenda... I leave the command of the monsters to you. Pick them as you like." With those short words out, he walked out of the room and went even further below deck... to his personal quarters. Crescenda was indifferent to it. Without a hint of interest, she strummed her instrument twice. A horrendous moan was heard below deck, screeching in the ears of most of the crew. In a flash of green, a spectral appirition appeared through the floor. The woman of musical wiles smiled.

"Yes... you'll do fine. Now... let's give you some form... Senior Bambina!" She quickly played a delicate melody of notes, each one transmuting the spectre into a solidified being. As the creation took shape, his features became more distinct. Protruding from his head, as well as his shoulders, were strands of what could be described as hair, but extremely superficial in color. His wardrobe was even stranger. What seemed to be a fine heavy armor traced his figure, with his head covered in a helmet-esque head piece. Draping down from his armor were little clothes that resembled something like ponchos, only in miniature. In terms of facial features, his eyes were as deep in hatred as Reapus, but were lighter in sheen. His mouth was in a permanately fixed fashion of half-closed and half-open. At his side though, there was a strikingly large armament, which he took in his hands and caressed. The barrel was unrealistical large for a fire-arm, even more so when considering that it was modeled after a bayonet... with a large knife of sorts added as an appendege to the gun's front. The monster bowed out of respect for the mistress and spoke swiftly,

"Ah! Mi amor, how may I be of service?" Crescenda smiled at her soldier. She nodded off to the surface.

"Your targets are the ones known as the Power Rangers." Bambina nodded, with a grim demeanor,

"Ah! Que suerte! I haven't had a battle with the rangers since the battle on Alpha Centari... I still have a score to settle with them." With a smile, his master responded,

"Good. Now, do your worst for them." Bambina bowed once more and disappeared from the deck, evaporating into the spectral form he had prior to his solidification. Crescenda, now satisfied her plan would work, begin to strum her instrument in anticipation of a new song. In the background however, Kalamax gritted his slimly teeth (or equivalent of), adamant in his hate. He muttered on the far side of the deck so his comrade couldn't hear him.

"... Reapus and Crescenda... you both shall rue the day you crossed me... and treated me like garbage. This I will make certain!"

-

Meanwhile, at the Tower, many a head was turning in confusion. Lobbying into the Command Room was further in dismay. Commander Stanton and his first officier, Mike, was busy with more work than usual. Mike turned to the stack of paperwork that was piled in twelve different corners.

"Overseeing the city is one thing, but this time of the year is more a pain than usual... all these new commuters from earth... the regristration's hard enough as it is." His superior tipped his cap with a grin.

"At ease. Be thankful these forms are the only enemy we're facing today." Mike rolled his eyes. Deep inside, he honestly wished there WAS a monster attack... it'd be more gripping than this... with a sigh, he continued to file the newcomers into the database of the citizens of River's End. That is... until one file inparticular caught his interest. Flipping through it, he was shocked. With a stupid grin to rival that of Byron, he said quickly,

"Wow! She's coming back!" was all he said, everyone around him gave him a questioning look. It didn't last long though, as the alarms, like the sweet ringing of bells to his ears, began to scream with shrillness. Stanton quickly issued orders,

"Monitors on screen stat! Give me coordinates now! Officer Corbett, contact the rangers!" In an instant of his words, the actions were quickly done. Mike flipped his headpiece on and said just as swiftly,

"Celeste, we got a live one, have everyone head over to Sector B, near the center of the city."

-

Shining on the city from above, the sun had placed itself on a high mount in the sky, as if to give itself more prominence. It hung over the city, making it gleam. It would've been a serene scene to be sure... if it wasn't for the stampede of fish-esque samurai that was inhibiting the population. Screams of terror rang out of the city, along with sword clashes and even some gunfire. Unlike the previous monsters, Bambina loved populated areas... made his job more... interesting.

"Si si! Now dance!" the psychotic gunsman laughed as he shot around the feet of the running people. In a matter of a moment though, a shaft of red energy crossed between him and the inhabitants. "Eh? Who is this?"

His answer came sooner than he thought. Forming a line, and side by side, the five rainbow-claded warriors turned their swords upon him and each said in turn,

"FIERY AS THE PLANET'S CORE! GALAXY STRIDER RED!" Byron shouted.

"UNPREDICTABLE AS A TSUNAMI! GALAXY STRIDER BLUE!" James called out.

"FIERCE AS A WINDSTORM! GALAXY STRIDER PINK!" Tacari said with confidence.

"STRONG AS A FOREST! GALAXY STRIDER GREEN!" Jun exclaimed.

"STEADY AS A MOUNTAIN! GALAXY STRIDER YELLOW!" Hannah shouted.

"We protect this planet with the power of the stars! POWER RANGERS: GALAXY STRIDERS!" The fivesome shouted as they struck their heroic pose.

The monster wasn't impressed. But rather he aimed his arm upon them. "You want to play? Then let's play!" He fired a stream of bullets at them, causing them to break formation. The Grimlings weren't about to sit this one out either. In droves, they piled on the rangers, more than the usual amount, this is true. However, they did manage to make a clean path for Byron to face Bambina head on.

"You're mine!" cried out Byron as he raised his sword, calling forth his weapon. "Star Disk Alpha, Nova Bihander!"With a mighty thrust, he heaved the weapon towards his enemy, who was rather nonchalant about it. Rather than react accordingly, he simply stood his ground, not moving. When the massive weapon made contact, the red ranger was sent blasting backwards with violent force. Bambina laughed as he said,

"Hahaha! Now you see? I am invulnearable to physical attacks! No one can hurt me!" Byron clutched his chest, staggering to get himself up. He wasn't about to give in.. no, not a chance. He opened his compartment in the belt a took out the orange disc, eyeing it curiously and impulsively slipping it onto the sword, reverting it back to it's base form. Spinning it, he called out, "Aurora Blade!" His sword was now engulfed in an intense inferno of flames, those that would match the sun in power. With a furious cry, he launched the energy at Bambina, who was shocked.

"Ay CALIENTE!" He cried out as the flames engulfed him, shooting past him and disintergrating him. Byron lefted the sword up, but the attack didn't finish. The inferno, like a snake of it's own accord, covered itself all around the area. The sidewalks were scorched, the buildings started to melt off their supports... and Byron tried to stop it.

"NO! PLEASE STOP!" He cried out. Alas, the flames didn't recognize him as their master. Byron's eyes caught a group of people, which included a young woman and a few children with their parents. He began to run towards them, helplessly trying to navigate those hellish flames. But to no avail. The deed was done. It could not become undone. The fire began to grow bored of its games and withered out, but once they left, the blackened and red skin of the victims was still festering in the young ranger's head. Horrified, he dropped his sword, ready to scream. The others, finally finished dispatching the Grimlings, joined him. With varying reactions.

"W-what the hell?" voiced James, his voice was clearly surprised that his friend was capable of such a thing.

"What in the world happened?" said Hannah with worry. She hurried over to the surviving victims and began to help them up. Jun said nothing and instead placed his gloved hand over the burnt ground, the smoldering ashes still giving off puffs of smoke.

"Byron... just what happened?" Tacari, looked from Byron, then the damage, then Byron again. Secretly, she did enjoy the destruction... but she saw that her friend was shaking. With a terrible scream, he ran off from them, his morph becoming undone.

"BYRON!" called out James as he ran after him. Tacari placed a sword over his path. With a slight nod in his direction, she said,

"No... Byron needs to grip reality. Better he does now or we all will end up like those unfortunate ones there." She pointed to the people being carried on strechers, now that the ambulances had been called. She looked to the sky. "I just hope this isn't the thing that breaks him..."

-

Watching from a distance, a young woman with blonde hair eyed the red ranger making his guilt-filled get-away. In a mere moment, she walked slowly towards the tower and placed her hand on the infrascanner. With a whoosh and a click, the machine rang out

"BIOSCAN COMPLETE... SUBJECT OF ORIGIN: KO-35... Name?" The young woman leaned towards the machine and whispered in a soft voice,

"Karone." The machine's screen went green, letting her into the Tower...

TO BE CONTINUED...

**Due to his gross error, Byron has done the one thing he never thought he'd do... attack a civilian. Or rather, a group of them. Will he make amends with himself? And what was the mysterious power he had called upon? All this and more on the next POWER RANGERS GALAXY STRIDERS!**


	5. Second Chances, Pt II

**Chapter 5 - Second Chances, Part 2**

The atmosphere in the city was tense. The sky reflected the grimness of the mood, as the clouds began their waltz across it, bringing their storming partner rain, and her cousins thunder and lightning. The lake that cut into the city was naturally protected from overflowing in this situation, by its sheer ability to carry immeasurable volumes of the life-giving liquid.

Running down its banks was a peculiar mixture to be sure. A salty material mixed in with the lake in marginal amounts, the source of their origin being a figure sitting by the lake's banks. He sat, his arms crossed over his legs, trying to hold himself together. Tears streamed down his face, mixing with the rain run-off on the grass. For many hours he stayed in this position, not saying a word, but feeling tormented.

It wasn't until he heard the squish of a puddle splashing did he turn his head, frowning at the new comer. Placing her umbrella over the drenched young man, the youthful beauty knelt down besides him, tilting her head as she surveyed him. Their eyes met briefly, for a passing second. The golden-haired woman then spoke, albeit softly.

"... You remind me of someone I know. Or rather... someone I used to know." The young man didn't dignify this with a response. He looked away from her, speaking lowly, almost inaudiably,

"Stay away from me." She wasn't going to let in that easily. Instead, she tried a different approach.

"You are feeling guilty and responsible for something aren't you?" This got his attention. Safeguarding himself, he didn't know whether to trust her. Through her years of experience, she was used to distrust. That didn't mean she couldn't work around it. He simply nodded to her original question. She continued,

"Sometimes... things that we can't imagine happen. And you'd give anything for a chance to turn back time and do it over... I know the feeling all too well. I had to work through it somehow. But I was able to, because I had the one thing that made it bearable..." Byron was listening intently now, although he doubted anything she said would have mattered. With a small breath, she finished, "... I had friends. Something you have back there." She pointed towards the tower. Byron looked from her, to the tower and then back. He shook his head.

"No... they're better off without me..." Her eyes glossed over to the square, as the rain diminished and came to a halt. It was her turn to shake her head.

"Really?... it looks like they could use your help." Byron picked his head up and looked towards the scene.

"Ay! No Red Ranger to save you this time!" shouted out Bambina. The four rangers, fully morphed, held their swords at attention.

"The four of us are more than enough for you. Let's get 'em guys!" shouted out James. With a chrous of approval, the rangers charged the enemy, unaware of his special body. A small pang in the back of his head told Byron that he had to help them.

I have to help them! cried his conciousness, growing louder as the rangers came one step closer to colliding with Bambina. No... I'll only cause more people to be hurt, reasoned his guilty side. Back and forth he went, trying to balance it. The woman next to him shook her head.

"You don't need to think about it too hard. From what I've heard about you... you'd rush into danger for anyone. Do you want to see your friends die right before your eyes? They need you. The city needs you. If those mistakes are heavy on your heart, then let your friends bear it as well. You don't have to suffer alone." Byron's concious grew even louder, drowning out his guilt. With a nod to the woman, he ran towards the group, morpher at the ready.

"Hasta la vista ninos y ninas!" Bambina aimed his rather large gun-arm and fired instantly. He shot the rangers, barrages of bullets trailing their bodies, knocking them backwards. Sparks flew from their suits, the pain shooting through them.

"AAAhhhhh...errrr... Don't give up guys!" shouted James in between the spurts of pain. Tacari, dashing ahead, held her sword in front of her, aiming for the monster's chest. She quickly stabbed him, striking him dead-on. But, as in the case with Byron before her, she was blasted backwards as soon as the sword touched Bambina.

"Tacari!" cried out Hannah, running to catch her before she landed into the concrete. Jun stepped between Bambina and the two girls, striking a defensive stance. Before Bambina could fire another round, a voice called out,

"HOLD IT!" The figure of Byron ran between them. Bambina was amused.

"Oh? El chico comes back for more torment? You might lose control again!" Byron shook his head.

"Maybe that's true... but if my friends are with me, I can handle anything!" Flicking his morpher open, he called out, "RIDE THE NOVA!"

After he stepped off his comet, Byron appeared, fully morphed. He drew his sword, placing the disk on it. Spinning it, he called out, "Star Disk Alpha, Nova Bihander, BURST MODE!" Wrenching the handle forwards, the large broadsword faced forward, turning itself into a cannon. With some hesitation, he placed the orange disk onto the weapon. The others, allowing themselves to get up, joined him, placing their discs onto the cannon.

"ALPHA!"  
"BETA!"  
"GAMMA!"  
"DELTA!"  
"EPSILON!"

The group aimed at Bambina, who shied away. With a forceful group cry, they sounded off,

"ZETA BULLET!" Byron pulled the trigger. When the energy beam made contact with him, Bambina flung his hands in the air, growing large to avoid the attack. Byron looked back to his friends and nodded.

"I'm sorry I ran off guys... I just couldn't take it. Those people got hurt because of me..." Hannah shook her head.

"Yes... but they were easily cured. There was no permanent harm done. I'm sure they can forgive you... we already have." The group nodded. Tacari even responded.

"You're still as naive as ever... welcome back Byron." Byron smiled at Tacari's indirect kindness. He took a glance at the enlarged Bambina and spoke to his team.

"Thanks guys. Now let's knock this guy down a peg or two. Call the zords!" Whipping out their devices, the called out,

"ALPHA LION!"

"BETA DRAGON!"

"GAMMA TURTLE!"

"DELTA BEAR!"

"EPSILON MONKEY!"

"ZORDS UNITE!"

Soon, the lion zord opened up and rearranged itself to form the head and torso while the yellow and pink zords formed the arms. The green and blue zords went on to form the legs with an extra component flying off of the dragon zord. The arms snapped on to the red torso before the upper half attached itself to the legs. The extra piece that flew off formed the regal shogun helmet that the megazord would wear into battle. The chinstrap materialized and a long sword with the five animals etched into the blade appeared.. In th cockpit, the five rangers appeared in front of podiums that housed their strider swords.

"STRIDER KING MEGAZORD!" They shouted in unison as the complete robotic warrior stood atop a cliff. Bambina grinned, knowing his invulnerability still stood.

"Ay! Even now, swords are worth zero to me!" He shot several times at the megazord, which caused it to kneel down. The rangers fumbled around in the cockpit, trying to stablize the controls. James banged the consle he was at.

"How can we get near him? If we can't get close enough, we'll never damage him!" Jun began to sweat under the helmet, but Byron wasn't worried. In fact, a voice in his head had told him the secret to winning was THAT. His mind snapped again to the orange disk and he took it out, placing it on his sword. Spinning it he called out,

"Star Summon!" The beetle that was trapped within the disk flew out of it and placed itself in front of the megazord. The entire team was shocked, save the guided Byron.

"It's a beetle!" observed Hannah in wonder.

"A zord that comes from a disk? That's new." replied Jun.

Byron called out,

"ZETA KAFER!" He placed the sword back into the console as the zord came to life. Its head spun around, as if like a drill. Bambina was surprised to say the least.

"Eso es malo! That thing!" He aimed down at it, firing down at the ground. Byron, controlling the new zord, made it move forward, ignoring the bullets. Once it got to the feet of the monster, He took the blade out a tiny bit and spun the disk. With great force, the zord threw Bambina a good distance. He struggled to get back up and shouted,

"NO! I will be the winner! Grimlings, come now!" The tall henchmen made a wall against the megazord and the small beetle. The zord opened it's jaws and fired a fire-like beam, creating a path through the wall of Grimlings. Celeste interrupted them, although her usual calm was apparently missing.

".. Bring them together. The Kafer will help you win..." She was hiding something. Worry?

"Let's bring it together!" Byron nodded.

"Armor Form Activate!" The beetle split itself into parts. Firstly, the pairs of legs seperated themselves and reattached to the arms of the megazord. The main body propped itself ontop of the head, replacing the original helmet. The bottom horn split itself open, revealing the megazord's face. Byron slid the sword into the console again and the team called out,

"Strider King Megazord, Terra Mode!" The impressive figure of the new megazord made the Grimlings tremble with fear. Bambina fired at their feet and called out,

"Don't be afraid, get them!" The Grimlings with arrows fired at the megazord, who in turn destroyed them with a blast of heat from it's helmet. Then, it unsheathed its sword and plowed through them, slashing and slicing each one in their way. Lastly only Bambina was left. He stuttered,

"B-B-But swords don't work on me!" He pulled the gun forward, but the megazord was faster. It fired another intense blast of heat from the helmet region, knocking the gun out of his hand. Together, the team drew their swords and made a thrust position. The megazord leaned on one knee as they called out,

"ASTRAL NOVA BURST!" The head of the beetle closed again, masking the face of the megazord. Both of the horns spun and spun, rapidly drawing energy. At its peak, the drill-like attack glowed firece orange and the rangers pushed their swords forward, crying,

"Ha!" The energy was released in the form of a giant fireball, which rammed against the monster. It drilled through him and he shrieked,

"Ai! La muerte!" As he fell down and was destroyed in a fiery explosion. The megazord made a pose and the rangers congradulated each other as per usual. Byron was especially happy... although he had a few questions for Celeste later...

End of Act 5.


	6. Diary of a Mad Jungle Woman

**Chapter 6: Diary of a Mad Jungle Woman**

Stars blanketed the night sky as the residents of River's End slept peacefully, comforted by the fact that they were under the protection of the Galaxy Strider Rangers. Every soul was wrapped in a deep slumber; all, that is, except for one. While everyone in the city was counting sheep, Tacari was wide awake and still seething over the fact that Mike had gone back on his word to keep the construction workers from setting up new work sites. She swung through the trees with the agility of a spider monkey until she reached the western part of the jungle and the new site that raised her ire.

_"Backstabbers! They're no more honorable than Eltari Lunar Serpents!"_ She thought with a low growl.

Her wild eyes shone with anger as they peered through the thick foliage. Metal tools and hulking machines littered the lush green landscape of her verdant home. She saw where literal chunks of trees were piled up in one corner of the site to be tossed out like garbage but what made her blood boil the most was the location itself. The site was where one of her most painful memories took place.

_"Seven Oiaga!"_ She thought to herself as she stealthily crept closer. If they were going to break their word, there was no reason for her to keep hers any longer. With the swiftness of a cheetah, she swept through the site, demolishing every machine she came across with her brute strength. Those she couldn't destroy outright, she sabotaged by cutting wires and hoses with the knife she kept at her side. She further continued her wanton, yet justified rampage by slashing their tents and provisions they had stashed away. Her usual raids were destructive, but this time, the level of vandalism was off the scale. It was as if the anger she was filled with fueled her and gave her the extra strength to carry out her deed. When she was finished, she stood in the middle of the clearing as the moon shone on her like a spotlight and let out a fierce, primal scream. That one vocal expression held all the rage, despair and pain she felt.

************

Meanwhile...

In the bowels of Reapus' ship, Kalamax paced back and forth after bringing his lord his bowl of sake. He still held deep-seeded jealousy towards Crescenda after Reapus put her in temporary command while he recuperated. The words still echoed in his bulbous head:

_"Kalamax... you're spared for now. I still have some use for you... Crescenda... I leave the command of the monsters to you. Pick them as you like."_

_"How! How could he choose her over me. ME! His most loyal! It's absurd!"_ He thought as he walked back to the upper deck. As he trudged his way through the door, one of the sources of his envy was soulfully playing her cherished shamisen. Her first time out as commander turned out to be a bust and Kalamax wasn't about to pass up a chance to rub her nose in it.

"Such a shame." He began with fake sincerity. "Bambina showed so much promise. But, alas, he met with the same fate as Dualash-utter defeat at the hands and swords of the rangers." His voice conveyed the confident smug his face could not.

When the lowly squid finished berating his comrade, Crescenda abruptly stopped playing her instrument to look into his beady eyes.

"A minor setback. Nothing more." She replied coolly. "I have more waiting in the wings for their chance at glory."

"And what makes you think this monster will succeed where others have so miserably failed?" The boastful kalamari asked.

"Because, unlike you, I have the forethought to observe the dynamics among the rangers on and off the field." The melodious general retorted. "Our grimlings have been doing surveillance for me and have brought back some telling information about those colorful pests."

As she spoke, she lightly strummed her shamisen in preparation for her newest creation.

"It appears that there is growing strife between the blue and pink rangers. I plan to use that unrest to my advantage."

The evil troubadour began playing a tune and ribbons of dark blue and dark pink energy began dancing around each other until they merged into a swirling orb.

"This will serve to feed my monster. Now, to find the right spirit." She whispered to herself.

The musical general resumed her strumming to summon a new spirit from below deck. The notes she played wafted down through the floorboards and searched for one of their most loathsome wraiths. Deafening wails could be heard throughout the deck as the notes chose their newest soldier. A brilliant flash of green filled the room nearly blinding everyone as the phantom rose like a zombie on Halloween.

"Ah! This one looks particularly vicious!" Crescenda nodded with approval. "Now, let me shape you and give you a fitting name."

Her pick glided across the strings quickly as the melody's magic went to work. The specter's aura wrapped around the swirling ball of energy, absorbing its essence into every fiber of its being as it slowly took shape. The right side formed into a Bengal tiger stalking through a bamboo forest while the left side of the monster took the shape of a crimson Kappa with flowing tendrils. The face that formed in the gap resembled the comedy/tragedy mask in the theatrical arts except both sides held an evil smile. The staff he held was reminiscent of a long bamboo stalk with blades shaped like the plant's leaves. Once the process was complete, the monster bowed to Crescenda and spoke in an eerie voice.

"Ah, I'm fortunate to serve such a lovely creature." He flattered as he attempted to kiss her hand. Crescenda promptly yanked it away in disgust.

(A/N: The voice of the monster is modeled after the late, great Vincent Price.)

"Flattery will get you nowhere. I need you to keep your mind on the task at hand." She sneered. "I want you to elevate the negative emotions felt by these ridiculous humans and feed on the energy. Once you've had your fill, I want you to use that stored energy to dispose of the rangers once and for all. Those you can't feed from, do with as you wish."

"Of course. If there's one thing I enjoy more than the company of a beautiful woman, it's creating chaos for her." The monster said in a chilling voice. "Oh, I just realized...I have no name."

Crescenda paused for a moment when she realized that he was right. Taking time to think of an appropriate moniker, she faced the creature and uttered one word.

"Catharsis." She said as her eyes glowed a bright yellow in the dank darkness of the ship. "Now, go and gorge yourself on their misery!"

"As you wish." With another bow, Catharsis vanished from sight and started on his devious quest.

**********

It was the start of a new day in River's End...a new day made possible thanks to the Strider Rangers' defeat of Senor Bambina. In the Command Tower, Mike has taken his role as mentor seriously and has called the rangers in for some extra combat training. Byron, James, Jun and Hannah were already in the Training Compound with the former Magna Defender as they waited for the final member to arrive.

"Mike, you got in touch with jungle girl, didn't you?" James asked in annoyance.

"Her name's Tacari, James." Byron said with a grin.

"Yes, I did." Mike answered. "I told her that we'd be going through some drills today."

When James heard Mike's statement, his eyes went wide in utter shock.

"You used the word 'drills' in front of her?" James shouted. "We're in trouble!"

"Why? You don't think she's gonna show up?" Hannah asked worriedly. "Now, that I think about it, it's not like she has a watch or anything. Maybe she just lost track of time."

"Oh, no. She's gonna show up, but she's probably gonna be on the warpath! I can see her now wearing some kind of war paint!" The blue ranger explained. "You know how she feels about the machines 'killing the planet'."

"But, she does have a point. I mean, I wouldn't want someone coming into my house and just start trashing everything." Byron said trying to be diplomatic about the situation.

"I guess we could wait a few more minutes." Jun replied. We just got here ourselves."

As the rangers were involved in their conversation, Mike paced back and forth with arms folded. Sighs of frustration exited his mouth as he looked down at his watch.

"She better show up soon or..."

Just as Mike was about to finish his sentence, they hear the sound of something rapping against the glass. The fivesome looked up to see none other than Tacari crouching on the windowsill waiting for someone to open the window for her.

"Um...you do know there's a door, right?" He asked pointing to the open door on the other side of the room.

The amazon didn't even bother to look in that direction. Instead, she looked right into Mike's eyes and answered him in her own fashion.

"You do know I could have stayed in the jungle and not come at all, right?" She shot back stoically making the yellow ranger chuckle.

"Touche'."

The exchange between the Pink Ranger and Mike made James pinch the bridge of his nose as he tried to stall the headache that was forming.

"Look, just open the window. The sooner she joins us, the sooner we can train and get through the rest of the day without her sarcasm."

Jun opened the window allowing Tacari to jump down to the floor with ease.

"...and the sooner I can get away from your cheery attitude." She replied with dripping sarcasm. Believe me, I don't want to be around your sunny disposition any longer than I have to. But I'd rather keep company with you than with someone who willfully goes back on their word." That last statement was pointed directly at Mike and she further cemented it by looking right at him. If looks could kill, the rangers would be preparing his funeral right now.

"What are you talking about, Tacari?" He asked completely oblivious to why Tacari was so mad.

"As if you didn't know!" The jungle girl ranted. "They're continuing the construction in the jungle!"

"Tacari, I haven't issued any orders for the construction to resume. I swear."

"Then where did this new site in the western part of the jungle come from? That wasn't there yesterday and I know this jungle like the back of my hand!" Tacari growled. "I thought we had an agreement!"

As she shouted, Mike had to step back. He'd never seen the pink ranger so angry, and rightfully so. He prided himself on being a man of his word and he was going to prove that Tacari can trust him.

"We do. I promise, I'll get to the bottom of this." Mike reassured. "Although next time, I'd appreciate it if you didn't trash it. Let me know first. That equipment is a bit pricey to smash and replace daily." He knew the wild woman's M.O. all too well. She'd developed a reputation.

"I wouldn't keep destroying their machines if they'd just stop bringing them in in the first place." She said simply.

"Point taken. I'll do whatever I can to curb the construction, although some people may be trying to push it. Leave that to me and the Commander. We'll straighten this out."

Tacari just looked at him, but the cold expression she had before softened a bit. She could tell he was being sincere and genuinely wanted to honor their agreement.

"All right; I'll trust you. Don't make me regret it." She replied with a slight warning.

"Thanks. Now that that's over, let's get started." Mike began. "Now, your last few battles were good, but they could use some polish. What I mean is...you guys need work."

All of the rangers looked at Mike as if they were insulted.

"Wait a sec, Mike. We weren't **that** bad!" James disagreed.

"I never said you were. I just meant you need to improve on your form." Mike corrected. "These grimlings aren't as inept as the Stingwingers we had to deal with so you need to be on point with your move and be ready for anything they can throw at you. So, we're gonna pair off and go do some sparring so I can see what everyone needs to work on." This garnered some groans from the fivesome. "Okay, Jun...you and Hannah pair off. James, your partner is..."

As Mike took his time saying the name, James was silently praying that he wouldn't be paired with the one person he'd been butting heads with since he met them.

_"Please, don't say who I think you're gonna say! I'll take anyone as a partner. Even you! Just don't say..."_ James thought pleadingly.

"...Tacari."

The expression on the blue ranger's face said it all.

_"Crap!"_ He thought with gritted teeth.

Byron, since you're the only one left without a partner, you'll be paired with me. Remember, guys. This is a sparring match so try not to kill or injure your partner." Mike said looking at Tacari as he did.

The amazon just rolled her eyes at her mentor and looked back towards James as she waited for Mike to give the word to begin.

"Okay...GO!"

All at once, Mike and the rangers began a spirited sparring session with Jun and Hannah sharing a similar fighting style that mirrored Wushu and Kung Fu. Mike and Byron were more the fisticuffs types with splashes of Martial Arts thrown in. The matchup between James and Tacari, however, proved to be the real clash. James found himself on the mat more times than he could count thanks to the amazon's strength and agility. Whenever the blue ranger tried to grab Tacari, she would either judo throw him, take him down with a roundhouse kick or just go full on jungle girl and tackle him. After so many failed attempts, James thought that sneaking up behind her was the best tactic to use. He thought wrong. He grabbed Tacari from behind and lifted her up as if to use a belly-to-back suplex but the sharp-witted amazon just hit him with a backwards headbutt causing the blue ranger to release her. Neither of them noticed that the other four had stopped their sparring to watch their teammates go at it. Mike, as much as he hated to admit it, was impressed with Tacari's skills.

_"Maybe I should try asking her to help out with the training again."_ He thought.

"What are you doing?" James asked as he held his forehead. "That's not what Mike's trying to teach us!"

"Actually..." Mike began, but Tacari's response interrupted him.

"I fight the way I see fit! His way may work for you..."

"And it should work for you, too!" James said as he heaved a sigh of frustration. "For once, will you get with the program!"

"I will when you, for once, stop acting like an Aquitian bullfrog!" She shot back.

As the two argued, James' face started to resemble Byron's uniform.

"What are you... Look, I know I have to fight with you on the field, but that doesn't mean I have to like it!"

"Well, being your teammate wasn't my choice, either! _**J fvah oo tmlauq itiw fht trehto, uub voy oac tsik zm tsa!**_" With one last glare, she leapt up to the window and jumped out of the building leaving an irate blue ranger behind.

"Jun, you can understand her; what did she say?" He asked angrily.

Jun just looked at him with a cringe and answered:

"You don't wanna know. Trust me."

"Well...that was interesting." Jun chimed in stoically.

Hannah, who was one of the shocked observers of the fight between their pink and blue comrades, hung her head in shame.

"Guys, this is getting us nowhere." She sighed. "It's like she's from a different world than us."

"In a way, she is." Byron added as he got a brainstorm. With a twinkle in his eyes, he pulled James out of the room and into the hallway so they could talk privately.

"Okay, why did you just pull me out of the room...and why didn't you do that before Jane of the Jungle started kicking my-" James asked before he was cut off by his best friend.

"Because...I need to talk to you about her." Byron interrupted. "You know about when I went into the jungle to find her. Well, she's not all that bad. She's really nice if you give her a change."

James just eyed his friend suspiciously.

"And you're telling me this because..."

"Because I think it would be a good idea if you spent some time with her. See things from her point of view." Byron explained. "Come on, man. Do this solid for me. Who knows, you two might find something in common." He said with his trademark grin.

That statement made the blue ranger give Byron a look that said "you have GOT to be kidding me!"

"Have you lost your mind! You saw what she tried to do to me!" James said in protest.

"She was only doing what Mike told us to do. And you have to admit, living in the jungle all your life, you do have to be ready for anything so she has that over all of us." Byron said seeing Tacari's side. "So, please?"

James tried not to give in but when Byron flashed his pitiful smile with his puppy-dog eyes, he caved.

"Okay, fine! I'll do it!" The blue ranger relented. "Just never do that face again."

"Promise!" Byron said...with fingers crossed behind his back.

"I'll go find Jung-Tacari." James grumbled.

"See? You're calling her by her name. That's a start." Ever the incurable optimist, Byron chirped happily seeing that his friend was trying to make a conscious effort to rebuild the bridge he burned with the amazon.

James just shook his head as he walked out of the training compound to search for the pink ranger. As Byron walked back into the room with the others, Commander Stanton's voice came over the P.A.

_"Mike, rangers, report to the Command Tower immediately! There's a disturbance in the city."_

"I wonder what's going on?" Jun wondered aloud as he and the others rushed to the main room of the Command Tower.

"Rangers, we've been receiving strange reports of people having spontaneous outbursts of...well...it's hard to say. Just watch."

Commander Stanton replayed the footage of the plaza and the rangers saw various people appear to go from acting normal to going into fits of rage or crying uncontrollably.

"Is there any sign of what's causing this?" Hannah asked.

"None that we could find. I want you all to investigate." Stanton ordered as he looked around. "Where are James and Tacari?"

"I sent them on a fact finding mission." Mike replied.

"I see. If you need any backup, call them. For now, see if you can find the source of...that."

"Yes, sir!" The remaining rangers said as the made their way to the plaza. Once there, the scene was exactly as the commander had described.

"It's like everyone's gone batty!" Byron observed as a burly man walked by with a box of Kleenex in his hands and bawling his eyes out about a chick flick he saw. "Okay, I could have gone all day without seeing that."

"Something has to be making them all act like this." Hannah said as she saw a couple of six-year-old girls fighting like they were in a cage match.

Jun was about to add his two cents when, all at once, the weird behavior stopped and everyone reverted to their normal selves.

"Now THAT was weird."

Unbeknownst to them, the entity that was causing the havoc had vanished to search for more filling emotions. Apparently none of these humans had anything that could satiate his appetite.

**********

Meanwhile...

James was trudging through the dense jungle in search for its most vocal inhabitant.

"Okay, so how am I supposed to find her in all this?" James asked himself as a branch that he pushed out of his way hit him in the face. "I guess I could look for something pink. It should stand out among all this green, right? Or I could just give the old Tarzan yell." He chuckled.

It was at that point that a pink blur flew past him knocking him down as she did when she met up with Byron the other day.

"I don't know who this Tarzan is, but I only answer calls from people I want to talk to." Tacari said seriously as she stood over him. "Why are you here?"

James stood up and brushed himself off. He was sore that Tacari didn't offer to help him, but he soon squashed that thought when he remembered that this was why he was here in the first place-to try to see things from her side.

"I wanted to know why you're so gung ho about this place." He said and it was partially true. Being a child of civilization, he never had a second thought about the lush world beyond his own concrete jungle. "What's so great about it?"

"You wouldn't understand." The jungle girl said as she turned away.

"That's why I'm here. To try to understand."

Tacari looked at him intently. She had to see if he was really sincere. When she was satisfied, she nodded.

"That's not the only reason why you came, but I'll take it. Follow me."

Tacari started to walk into the dense foliage and didn't bother to wait for James.

"If I were you, I'd keep up. It's easy to get lost." She warned.

Not wanting to owe the pink ranger anything if that scenario did take place, James quickly followed her and stuck close. As the tour went on, Tacari explained a little about the her life without revealing too much. Other than the moments where she was talking, the pair walked in an awkward silence while going through leaves and vines when James started getting the feeling that someone was watching them.

"Wait! I think we're being followed." It may have been his neurotic fear of the jungle, no thanks to Tacari, but he was more aware of things in here than he was in the city. The woman in question looked back at the jittery blue ranger and smirked inwardly as she pushed a leaf out of her way.

"You're just being paranoid." She said with a roll of her eyes. "Besides, I wouldn't be worried about anything here coming after you. I don't want them to get poisoned if they bit you."

"Oh har har! Is it hard? Talking with a tongue dipped in acid, I mean." James turned to around to make sure he didn't make eye contact. "But you're right. I don't need to worry. I'm traveling with the most dangerous thing in the jungle." He said with smirk.

"Yes...you are." She agreed seriously as she walked on ahead.

"I'm starting to wonder if I should strangle Byron when I get back..." Muttered James. "If Byron wasn't so insistent on being buddy-buds with this jungle woman, I wouldn't have even bothered to come out here. Things would be so much easier."

"I heard that." The pink ranger said. Being in the jungle so long has heightened her senses so much, they rivaled most of the animals she lived among. "Honestly, if you had to, you wouldn't last a day in my world."

"If I could survive a day with your silver tongue, I'm sure I could last a year in this place." James shot back causing Tacari to give him an incredulous look.

"I'd love to see you try." She smirked.

They walked further into the forest when the pair heard the sound of rustling leaves behind them. Impulsively, James reached for his morpher, saying,

"An enemy!"

Tacari also took a defensive stance but when she caught a glimpse of the ones following them, her cautious glare softened into a smile and that action threw James for a loop.

"Damn! I think hell's frozen over!" He blurted out.

As soon as he said that, Tacari made some sort of animal sounds and two tiny creatures bounded out towards her. The two animals then ran around the amazon's sandaled feet like happy pets. One was a cream colored fox with two tails, red eyes and a back jewel in the middle of its forehead. The other was a fluffy brown cat/rabbit hybrid with lop ears and golden eyes.

"Hey, little ones." She greeted in an unusually soft voice.

Both animals, who appeared to be very young, climbed up her body. The rabbit/cat rested on her shoulder while the fox perched on top of her head making her giggle.

"Do you have to do that every time?" Tacari asked the baby fox who yipped happily.

James couldn't help but feel shocked. A giggle. A sign of girlish wiles. He didn't think that strong Tacari, jungle woman Tacari, hard-hearted Tacari could even show those basic components of passion. He almost found them... attractive?

"Oh, God! What the hell am I thinking?" Muttered James, his face becoming red.

The cat/rabbit hybrid looked at James with its feline curiosity showing and mewed. It then turned to Tacari and mewed as if it was asking her something.

"Oh, him? This is James. Say hi." She chuckled.

The small cabbit waved its paw in greeting but the two-tailed fox kit merely tilted its head with curiosity. They never laid eyes on too many humans besides Tacari.

"If I wasn't so shocked, I think I'd find these little guys cute." James couldn't look at Tacari for a few minutes afterwards. It was then that Tacari's expression hardened, but just a little.

"Why would you be shocked? Because I can actually show compassion?" She asked. "Of course I would for the creatures here."

"Makes sense, I guess..." He really didn't have any snappy comebacks for her, surprisingly enough.

At this point, Tacari's facial expression hardened a bit more a she petted the brown cat/rabbit hybrid.

"Especially these two." She said quietly. "Those machines... they killed their mothers. I was there when it happened."

"I...don't know what to say." James really wasn't comfortable talking about this, especially when he saw how the memory enraged Tacari. He saw further proof when her fists clenched so tightly, her knuckles turned white.

"They were all just playing together right over there. Not a care in the world." She said as she pointed in the direction where the destroyed construction site stood yards away. "Then those...monsters came. Smoke was spouting from their horns, loud roars echoed to the point I couldn't hear any of the animals! The ones I did hear were these little ones crying as the one with the large jaw (bulldozer) trampled over their mothers. I arrived too late to save them but I managed to take these two to safety."

Her teeth gnashed in feverish anger as more of that horrid memory flooded her mind.

"THAT'S why I destroy those machines! They have no regards for life! And as long as they insist on killing this jungle, I'll KEEP destroying them. I'm not going to let another animal end up orphaned!" She shouted at the top of her lungs.

James was dumbfounded. He'd never seen her display such raw emotion. As long as he knew Tacari, he only saw the sarcastic, belligerent jungle warrior. Now, he saw that she had a reason for why she was the way she was. A good distance away, peering from a puddle below them, were a pair of yellow glowing eyes. It whispered softly into the dense jungle air,

"Whoosh...whoosh...whoosh! That girl's energy is nice. Pure anger is my favorite meal!"

Opening his mouth a fraction, a very thinly veiled trail of energy shot out of the puddle without a sound and leeched onto Tacari. Steadily, her anger was recycling into his body.

The tiny animals snuggled up to Tacari as they attempted to calm her down but the thought that their mothers' deaths were unnecessary still plagued her.

"Never again..." She whispered angrily.

"Oh, that's good! Give me more! Yes...feed me!" The monster whispered.

The energy strand grew stronger as Tacari's fresh anger transferred through it. It took a few minutes, but the babies had managed to calm down their jungle savior. The fox jumped onto her shoulder and tickled her neck with it's double tails making her giggle.

"Hee hee. Okay, I'm fine now." She smiled lightly as she petted her friends.

The energy line went dead and the monster grew frustrated. He unhooked the stream from the pink ranger and stood watching them unseen by the rangers and the animals.

"Pfft. Another time, then." He dove back into the puddle, waiting for the next chance to feed.

Tacari was still laughing lightly as the baby animals cooed. Her face turned to face James and her expression suddenly went stoic.

"I was fortunate to find other families to adopt them but they somehow see me as their...well, I won't say mother...but close to it." She said softly.

Her tone of voice itself was a surprise to James. Tacari was known as the harshest one of the group; never once did he envision her with a soft side. The awkward silence was enough to make Tacari look at him weirdly.

"You're staring." She said simply bringing James out of his stupor for a moment.

"Um...sorry about that." He replied, clearly not sure what to make of this awkward moment.

Tacari was unsure of how to react to James' change in attitude so she changed the subject.

"Let's keep going. I have a feeling Byron wanted you to know more about me so I guess I can show you where I live."

"Okay."

This was not at all what he was expecting. He wasn't fighting with Tacari now, but he didn't know what to call this temporary truce of words. The group of humans and animals walked in silence as they approached a clearing. Tacari, along with her furry friends stopped in front the trunk of a large tree.

"Why are we stopping here?" James asked confused.

The pink ranger just looked at him and said...

"We're home."

She pointed up to the canopy and James nearly fell backwards at the sight. Up in the treetops was a large treehouse. Though he couldn't see much detail, he could tell that no modern tools were used in making it.

"Wow!" He gasped as Tacari pulled a vine. It, in turn, sent a basket for the to ride in like an elevator. He and Tacari got in and rode to where she laid her head down at night.

"And this is where I live." The amazon said as she and James got off the elevator. The animals stayed perched on her shoulders. She allowed James to look around on his own and watched as everything about her arboreal home was a sight to behold.

"She managed to coincide with nature without harming it." He thought in amazement.

**********

Back at the plaza...

Byron, Jun and Hannah were still trying to piece together the cause of the strange behavior of the citizens.

"I don't get it." Hannah huffed. "One minute everyone's acting like froot loops, now..."

"Now they're not." Jun added.

"I wish we could figure out what caused it." Byron hoped.

"Perhaps I could be of some assistance." Said a sinister voice from out of nowhere. All three rangers whipped around to see the creature I question.

"Who are you!" Byron asked as they all took defensive stances.

"I'm known as Catharsis. What you saw was my handiwork." He explained. "Now, allow me to show you first hand!"

Nearly invisible tendrils floated from his body and snaked out to attach to the people once again. This time, they all had the look of death in their eyes as blinding rage filled them. Every person there turned and faced the threesome of rangers.

"Um...this doesn't look good!" Jun stated.

"I know! But we can't fight them, they're innocent!" Hannah shouted.

"Well, until Tacari and James get here, we're gonna have to!" Byron decided as he grabbed his Stroke Morpher. "Ready!"

"Ready! **RIDE** **THE** **NOVA!**" All three shouted as they morphed quickly.

"Now, my puppets, ATTACK!" Catharsis ordered as the people charged at the three rangers. Byron and the others hesitantly tried to stave off their advances without causing harm to them

"This is bad! We have to save them, but how can we without hurting them?" The yellow ranger grunted in question as she used her blade to block an attack.

"Mike, we could use some backup!" Jun shouted.

"I'm on it. Just hang on as long as you can." Mike said as he went to search for the remaining two rangers.

"We'll try, Mike! We'll try!" Byron replied.

**********

Back in the jungle...

Tacari and James were acting cordial when their morphers started going off.

"Mike?" James asked. "What's going on?"

"The others need you in the plaza! A monster named Catharsis is making the people attack the rangers!"

"Let's go." The jungle woman stated simply as she got to the elevator. James followed suit quickly and in a flash, they and the animals were back in the forest floor. "You stay here!" She gently ordered before running towards the city with James.

**********

In the plaza, Byron and the others were losing ground quickly as the citizens were growing in number and strength.

"Byron! We have to do something!" Hannah shouted. "I don't think I can hold out much longer!"

"We have to! We can't hurt them!" Byron shouted back.

While the rangers were struggling, Catharsis was feeding off their worry and the people's manipulated rage.

"Yes, this is a tasty treat, but I hunger for that raw anger. How luscious she was." Catharsis murmured to himself. He was brought out of his epicurean daydream when two swords struck him from behind and the blue and pink rangers in full attire stood with their friends.

"Guys! Are you alright?" James asked as the hold on the people was finally severed thanks to their sneak attack. Everyone who was under Catharsis' control ran from the plaza to safety leaving the rangers to tangle with the tiger crossover.

"We are now." Jun replied with a sigh.

Tacari looked around to see how the people were being used and, despite her disdain for their way of life, became angry that they were innocent pawns in this monster's sick game.

"How dare you manipulate these people!" She shouted and that outburst caused Catharsis to chitter with sadistic glee.

"Oh! It's you! Oh, yes; I can never forget such delicious rage!" Catharsis chuckled as his tendrils invisibly latched onto the pink ranger and began transferring her anger into him. "I was hoping to run into you again. I was craving a second helping and since I find it rude to be interrupted during a meal...GRIMLINGS! Keep the other rangers busy while I feed on the pink one!"

The shogun demons crawled out of crevices and cracks of every shape and size and soon surrounded the four rangers..

"Good, I needed a distraction!" James shouted as Byron led the charge. Each ranger took on a group of chattering grimlings while Tacari helplessly festered in her own anger.

**"Nova Bihander! Star Disc ALPHA!"**

**"Nebula Bogen! Star Disc BETA!"**

**"Astral Lancer! Star Disc DELTA!"**

**"Star Grazer! Star Disc EPSILON!"**

With their upgraded weapons in hand, the rangers fought valiantly against the red and yellow wraiths while Catharsis was gorging himself on the pink ranger's raw emotions. As the others fought, James managed to catch a glimpse of one of the snake-like tendrils siphoning energy from the jungle girl.

"That's how he does it!" He whispered to himself. "Tacari! Snap out of it!" He shouted, but grimlings kept advancing despite all the water arrows he shot to keep them at bay. "He's feeding off of you!"

"You spineless leech!" Tacari snarled as she walked closer to the tiger demon.

"Yes...yes! Get madder, girl! Feed me to bursting!" Catharsis chuckled evilly.

"James, do something! We need her help!" Jun yelled as he swung his Lancer.

James was unsure of what to do until he thought back to his time in the jungle...and the babies. They were the only things that calmed her down...and got her to laugh.

_"That's it!"_ He thought. "Tacari! Remember the babies!"

"Silence, you fool! I'm just about ready to start dessert!" Catharsis warned. What he didn't realize was that Tacari, despite being consumed by her rage, still had a spark left in her that remembered her two small animal friends. More specifically, how they'd tickle her and look cute to make her smile. The memory grew and grew until she did start to laugh effectively severing Catharsis' connection to her.

"NOOOO! You ruined everything!" He whined as he steadily lost energy.

"What-what happened?" She asked slightly dizzy.

"Never mind that! We could use a hand here!" James urged.

"Right! **Celestial Fan! Star Disc GAMMA!**" With a mighty swing she managed to send gusts of wind to blow some of the grimlings back to where they came from. "James, how about we skin this cat while the others clean up this mess?"

James looked at her and tilted his head.

"I thought you were a defender of all creatures?" He asked. The pink amazon looked at Catharsis and with a smirk under her helmet, she uttered.

"I'm making an exception."

"I refuse to lose to the likes of you whelps!" Catharsis waved his arms in a circular motion. His tiger side radiated an intense fire while his Kappa side flooded with water. "Since I didn't finish my meal, I might as well send you the leftovers! STORMING STRIFE!"

Shadows of the tiger and Kappa launched from his body and struck the blue and pink rangers with such force that they were knocked back.

"Yikes! Remind me never to make you mad again! You gave that guy too much power!" James grumbled.

"Can we place blame later? I think I know how we can beat it. We attack him at the same time." Tacari suggested.

"Sounds good."

"I won't let you! STORMING STRIFE!" Catharsis shouted as he tried his attack again.

But this attack would backfire in the worst possible way. As the dual attack approached James and tacari, they both leapt into the air and launched a dual attack of their own. Pink gusts of wind enveloped blue arrows as they collided with Catharsis. Sparks flew from his battered body before his corpse collapsed into a massive explosion.

"Awesome, guys!" Hannah shouted happily.

"You were great!" Byron nodded.

"Thanks, man!" James said shaking his hand.

"Oh, kiddies! This isn't over!"

Indeed, it wasn't as a plume of fire erupted from his resurrected body and made it grow to immense proportions.

"Guys, we got this! Ready, Tacari?" James asked.

"Ready." She answered with a nod.

**"BETA DRAGON!"**

**GAMMA TURTLE!"**

Both rangers drew the symbol to make their zords enlarge and charged into the fray. Catharsis sent a stream of smoke their way to try to knock them out of the air.

"Really, dude. Pop a tic tac!" James said as his dragon sent a stream of blue flames at the hybrid monster.

"It's time you went on a diet! James!"

"On it!"

Tacari folded her zord back into a circle and the dragon gripped it in its talons.

"It's time to play 'BOWLING for BADDIES!'" James shouted as he used Tacari's zord as the bowling ball. The blue dragon let go of the circular zord and it collided with Catharsis' head.

"STEE-RIKE!" James shouted in triumph.

"Your customs...are still weird to me." The pink ranger scoffed.

"Baby steps, Tacari. Baby steps."

"Hey, leave some for us!" Byron shouted as the others came in for the final blow. He used his morpher to write the symbol for "unite" in the air. "ZORDS UNITE!"

All five zords quickly transformed int the various body parts before combining into...

**"STRIDER KING MEGAZORD!"**

"As if that's gonna stop me!"

Both entities clashed and it wasn't long before Catharsis stooped to a low blow.

"I'm hungry again! But this time, I'll try the direct approach!"

With that, the tiger side of the monster took a big bite out of the Megazord's right arm causing those inside to wobble unstably and lose its Stellar Saber.

"Whoa! Man, he's tough!" Jun replied.

"How are we gonna take this guy down?" Hannah asked.

"Dude, I have an idea. Let me and Tacari take the lead." James offered.

"Okay, man. Go for it!"

"Nice! **BETA DRAGON VAULT!**"

The left leg of the megazord unfolded launching the hulking robot into the sky. This move gave Tacari the opening she needed.

**"GAMMA TURTLE SLICER!"**

With a pull of her blade, her zord separated from the rest of the megazord, folded in on itself and spun towards Catharsis with its flippers glowing a bright pink. Her zord slashed down the vertical slope of its body before rejoining the others for the death blow. Catharsis staggered as the megazord managed to grab its sword from the ground.

**"STELLAR SABER! COSMIC SLASH!"**

Sparks fell from the sky as the shining blade cut down the hybrid demon once and for all.

"And another one bites the dust!" James nodded proud of himself.

**********

Later that day, Byron and the others were hanging out in the plaza. After their fight with Catharsis, it was nice to just unwind without so much emotion...well maybe one-contentment.

"So, James...what happened in the jungle with Tacari?" Byron asked. By now, everyone knew of the red ranger's run in with the wild pink ranger.

"Nothing, really. We just talked. Nearly came to blows a couple of times, but we managed to keep from killing each other." James fibbed slightly.

"James, let's be real. If you had to fight Tacari to the death, she'd win. Hands down!" Jun added as he sipped his soda.

"I still think there's some good in her. Okay, of course there is, she's on our team." Hannah stammered. "I guess, what I meant to say was...maybe she has a softer side?"

"Maybe. But if she does have one, she's not showing it anytime soon." Jun replied.

"It's too bad she isn't here. I'd really like it if she came to visit us once in a while. See that the city's not so bad." Byron said hopefully as the foursome ate.

James looked over to where the jungle met the courtyard and noticed a bit of pink peeking through the green canopy. He scanned the trees and saw Tacari with her baby animals perched on her shoulders. He gave a small smile that she returned before she disappeared into the thick foliage.

_"Maybe..."_ He thought.

**********

_Drip..._

A loose bit of water ran down a fickle branch over the lake. The drop fell from the low height, hitting the serene surface with a shudder that rippled. At once, the ripple ceased, and the calm of the body was restored. Simultaneously, the jungle grew quiet. Deathly so. From the deeps of the lake, a glowing orb lifted itself from it, wrapping itself in the nearby plant-life. Merging with them, it began to take some form. With a low whisper, it spoke in a broken language,

"De...str...oy... hu...ma...n...s." With a few more steps, it took to the jungle, a mysterious mist surronding it. As it passed by, the surronding plants faded and died, while the animals fell to the jungle floor...

=====

End of Act 6


	7. Marlin Maladay

**Chapter 7: Marlin Malady**

Byron, clutching the orange disc in his hand, walked hesitantly over to the radiant stone on which the meditating figure of Celeste sat, her physique shining with a pure white aura. Her eyes were closed; her concentration focused solely on herself. Byron didn't think he should interrupt what she was doing but couldn't bring himself to leave. He stood transfixed on Celeste and a piece of his mind, somewhere in the back, was being tugged. Why? It seemed so familiar...

"Byron...to what do I owe the pleasure?" asked the bright-eyed Celeste. Byron held out his disc and asked curiously and cautiously,

"When I first used this disc... it was on a totally different level than mine. It was intense! Could you tell me more about it?" Celeste glanced from the disc in his hand to Byron. Processing how to answer, she responded earnestly,

"That disc, along with its kin of water and sky, is radically different from your and the rangers' star discs. Your discs contain the power of stars, raw energy condensed into a device giving it life and properties of organic beings. The disc in your hand, as well as two others, are part of the triad." Byron thought about it, but still he didn't understand as much as he would like.

"Um... sorry if I'm a little slow, but what is the triad?" Celeste sighed and looked to the stars beyond her.

"The triad is a group of three guardian spirits that protect the planet of Miranoi. They existed long before human life had begun to trickle on it." She took a pause, then continued, "Many centuries ago, I, as well as Orion and the previous team of rangers, thought to use their power to defeat Reapus and his men... however... they proved to be too strong to control. You are the first one in all of history to tame a guardian, Byron." Celeste said this with some pride. The red ranger blushed because Celeste's compliment was making him ecstatic, not that he wasn't already to begin with.

"Well, I couldn't do it alone. James and everyone helped me suppress it. It was a team effort." Celeste appreciated the modesty, but she continued,

"Regardless, you tamed it. Something that we could never do. Orion, fearing that we would be overwhelmed by their sheer power, sealed the three into the planet itself, syncing their energies with it. Since then, their power has been protecting Miranoi... acting as its guardians." Byron nodded.

"So, then, that means there are still two more guardians left?" Celeste didn't answer but did say,

"Don't go looking for them; you already performed a miracle by taming one. Luck, alone, can only take you so far." Byron bowed as he said, smiling,

"Don't worry. I was just curious. Thanks for the talk." With that, he turned around and left Celeste to her work. Finding herself again, she closed her eyes, once again focusing on the rock under her until it began to glow brightly. Very soon... she would be ready.

*************************************

Meanwhile...

The city of the River End was relatively peaceful. In all honesty, the citizens started to get into the groove of frequent monster attacks. For some, it was an ounce of excitement that made dull life interesting. To others, more paranoid, it made living their daily lives extremely difficult. This was especially true when Hannah, who was teaching today, noticed a significant decrease in attendance after each attack. It was making her worry but she tried to ignore it and continued teaching the class.

"So, can anyone tell me what this word means? Give it your best shot, kay?" She smiled at the little faces that were looking back at her. A few raised their hands, another few put their heads down hoping not to be called on, and the scattered others weren't bothering to pay attention. Hannah picked the girl right in front. "Yes, Gwen?"

"It means to-" Before the girl could finish, her head hit the desk, as did others. The majority of the students actually fell unconscious at their desks. Hannah ran around the classroom and shook her students trying to wake them, shouting in turn,

"Gwen? Daniel? Everyone?" In a state of panic, she rushed out of the classroom, hoping to find the nurse. As she passed by some of the open doors, she saw that every room had rows and rows of students... comatose. The teachers were the same, either at their desks or lying motionless on the floor.

"Just what is going on?" cried Hannah as she ran through the halls. Her frantic haste made her oblivious to the sinister purple mist following her.

*************************************

At the Tower, things were still relatively calm. Mike was monitoring the city, but nothing seemed to be happening. At the very least, the sensors weren't going off and he was grateful for the lull in activity. That is, until a ring from his communicator caught his attention. Pressing to activate, he responded.

"Mike, here." A frantic panting entered through the link as the distressed voice of Hannah was heard soon after.

"Mike! Everyone is losing consciousness! The kids... the other teachers... I think it's an enem-" Unfortunately, she didn't finish.

"Hannah?" The former Magna Defender heard a loud thud as the Yellow Ranger's communicator hit the floor. "Hannah?" A few seconds later, the line went dead causing Mike to worry.

"Officer Corbett!" called out a man in a uniform similar to his own. Mike looked over his shoulder, the soldier saluting him.

"At ease, soldier. What's the emergency?" Before he was able to get an answer, the soldier's eyes rolled back as he hit the floor, a purple mist following behind him. When Mike looked down the hall, he saw other workers down, either slumped against the wall or sprawled on the floor. The same ominous mist that sourrounded the fallen workers began to creep towards him. As he backed away, Mike heard the sound of squishy footsteps. His back hit the wall as the figure came into view. Covered in a sickly green moss, the elongated face of the monster stared at Mike, his hellish yellow eyes burning into his skin. Raising his left hand, the creature released more concentrated stream of the mysterious purple mist at him.

"Mike!" cried out a voice from the door. Mike felt a shove from the side, nearly pushing him out the window. When he looked back, he saw Jun taking the brunt of the attack.

"Jun!" He stepped forward to help his friend in need, but Jun, holding chest, coughed out,

"Go! Tell...argh... the others!" Mike, although unwilling to leave his friends, nodded and jumped from the windowsill. Falling twenty stories from the ground wasn't going to be fun, but it was better than being trapped up there. Bracing for impact with the concrete below, Mike closed his eyes as he waited for the inevitable crash...but it never came because a pink blur tackled him in mid-air before he hit the ground. She grabbed his torso and the pair came safely to a halt at the wall.

"Tacari?" Mike questioned, a little disoriented from the ordeal. The jungle woman replied, although somewhat strained,

"Yes... Something is killing the jungle. The animals and plants are falling to a strange sickness. I-I came here to find the source." From out of the same window Mike had made his desperate leap, their uninvited guest jumped as well. Landing on his feet, he turned around to face Mike and Tacari. It opened its algae-riddled mouth, releasing more poisonous mist.

"Des...tr..oy..." It droned. The monster took a few steps forward but before it could launch an attack, two pairs of pounding footsteps and their owners rushed between them. Mike recognized their reinforcements as James and Byron and pointed to the monster.

"That thing's the one that's spreading the disease all over!" Tacari shot the creature a piercing glare; her primal anger started bubbling back up as James and Byron stood next to her. Leading the call, Byron shouted,

**"****RIDE****THE****NOVA!****"**

The three went through their journeys through the stars and landed back on the battlefield, stepping off their comets; Tacari was still moving a bit rigidly. James caught this and started to worry if something was wrong. She ignored her lapse in mobility and charged the monster, raising her blade.

**"Fid voy eratsab!"** she cried, her anger fueled by reasons unknown. As she brought her strider down, the monster easily caught the blade and pulled her close to him. He gathered a bundle of energy and fired a strong stream of his purple mist at the pink amazon. The force of the attack hit dead-on and she was thrown back onto the concrete.

**"TACARI!"** James ran to her side with Byron not far behind. Tacari, through her stifled coughs, said in a whisper to James,

"I don't care what happens to me. Just... help the little ones... please." James grabbed her hand and said quickly,

"Don't be stupid. Those little guys need you! And if you're gone... who's going to be a pain in my ***?" Although it was met with considerable pain, Tacari slightly smiled at James through her helmet.

"Uoidi." With that, she dropped her head and fell limp in his arms. James let her down gently and drew his sword, his anger fresh. Byron looked at him and said quickly,

"No, James! Your anger will cloud your judgement!" Perhaps his anger did cause him not to think straight, but he didn't care. Charging in the same fashion as Tacari before him, he flashed the sword, sliding his blue disc onto the hilt. Spinning it, he called out,

**"Aurora Blade!"** He ran towards the monster, slashing the energy towards it. Dodging the blows, the monster fired a stream of mist towards him. The blue ranger raised his sword and deflected the miasma with the swirling energy in his blade, throwing it at the ground. The monster stepped back a bit as it thought of its next move. James raised his blade, mirroring Tacari's prior movements. He slashed downwards with enough force to cut through iron. The monster once again caught the blade, immediately repeating the tactic it used against the pink ranger. It gathered its sickening energy and was ready to fire. James, anticipating it, kicked the monster away from him and slashed its chest The strike caused the creature to fire a few degrees too far and missed James by a hair; unfortunately, Byron wasn't as lucky. Not seeing the attack until it was too late, Byron received the mist. James turned his head and noticed his falling friend... clutching his chest and on all fours. Byron's sword was strewn on the floor carelessly as James ran over to him,

**"Byron!"** He held his friend fast, using himself as support. While he was distracted, The monster took the opportunity and fired a jet stream at James, hitting him hard. "ARGH!" The mist hit his back... but amazingly, nothing had happened after the pain had subsided leaving James confused as to why he wasn't affected. The creature then turned away from them, evaporating into the same mist that had stricken the planet ill. James looked from Byron and Tacari to Mike, who then said,

"I'll take care of them. Go see if Celeste knows how to cure it." James nodded and demorphed. He ran off, preparing to immediately leave for Celeste's star.

*************************************

Meanwhile, on the star in question...

Celeste looked on through the large crystal hanging overhead and more than worried about the state of the planet and the welfare of her rangers. She carefully studied the monster and muttered to herself,

"Plaguture." A shuffling of footsteps alerted her to the presence of another on the star. Already sensing his spirit, she called to him. "James... you've come to ask me how to cure them of this illness, correct?" James entered the cavern and nodded. He ran over to her and nearly bowed,

"Please. If there is anything... anything at all that can save them... just tell me!" Celeste sensed his desperation... and fear. She spoke swiftly,

"There is no antidote to this monster's poison..." Before James could leap up in outrage, she continued, "BUT, there is a power that can purge the poison from their bodies... but it could easily destroy you as it almost did to Byron." James recalled the incident a few days before. Byron's power was out of control and he injured many people. But James shook it off.

"I won't lose to the power. Just tell me where it is!" Celeste frowned, although it was hidden from James' view.

"Your mission is to protect this planet. The mission comes first. Go destroy Plaguture... we can focus on restoring the others after." James was about to boil over with rage.

"After? Are you insane? There are thousands of people in that city and many more lives in the jungle! You're saying I have to ignore all that and turn my heart to stone?" His mind drifted back to his friends. "I don't know what happened to you, Celeste... but I will never... ever abandon them. So, please... tell me where the power is."

Celeste stared at James for a long while as her thoughts circulated in her head. She formulated different scenarios, each one having its own set of consequences... but ultimately, she conceded to her own conscience. She raised her hand and a new hologram was produced. Just north of the city, in a expansive opening, was Mari Lake. She explained,

"In the heart of the Mari River, there is the second guardian... Schertfisch. His power of water is strong enough to eradicate most poisons... much like how your power protects you from them. Water is a purifying element." James understood the logic and, coincidentally, he knew where the image was. He was about to turn to leave when Celeste said urgently,

"Tread carefully, James. You have no idea what kind of dangers lay in wait for you." James turned slightly and said,

"I don't care. I'll get the power and be done with it." He left the star, letting Celeste continue monitoring Miranoi.

"... He's almost as naive as Byron. But he will learn eventually. He'll learn the painful truth."

*************************************  
At the Tower, without the influence of the monster, the mist has considerably lessened. Mike had the four rangers in infirmary beds hoping they would pull through. A monitor in the room came alive and the image of Celeste appeared on the screen. She said seriously,

"Plaguture, your ill-spreading monster, is now attacking the other half of the city. Send the rangers." Mike was shocked at her choice in judgement.

"These kids are on their death beds and you want them to go on a suicide mission?" Celeste shook her head.

"If they were to meet an untimely end, the stars would have foretold it. Now, send them." Mike stood his ground, getting irritated with Celeste.

"I said no! I will not let them throw away their lives on the whim of a stranger who hides behind a mask!" Celeste's eyes grew dark as she responded dryly,

"I see. So, then you'll let all the others in the city die? I misjudged you, soldier." Mike gritted his teeth, knowing she had him cornered. She knew it, too. The silent stand off would have continued, but a small shuffle from the corner of the room garnered both of their attention. Rising from bed, Byron got up and took his morpher, clearly driven by instinct since he was barely awake. Celeste smiled while Mike tried to get him to lie back down. Byron shoved his hands out of the way, saying,

"Mike... you were on the same team as the rangers before, right? You would sacrifice anything to save the city, right? Well... we're the same. Please... just let me do this." Mike was hesitant, but Celeste didn't give it thought.

"Let the boy go. He's the only one who can defend us until James returns." Mike didn't look at Byron, but he just nodded. "Go..." Byron smiled and ran out the door, morphing in the hallway.

*************************************

Traveling through the jungle, the blue ranger made his way to where the water guardian could be found. Finding the Mari River wasn't an accomplishment worth mentioning. James knew his way around this particular part of the jungle, owing this little token of knowledge to his last meeting with Tacari. He traced along the edge of the river, holding his sword out like a divining rod. Once he reached the rather large opening in the lake, his sword started to vibrate. Glancing near the lake, James retracted his sword.

(A/N: Like Shinkenger, the Strider Rangers CAN use their swords out of morph.)

"This is the spot. Then, let's bring it out." He took out his morpher and called out, **"RIDE THE NOVA!"** This time, when James was fully morphed, he didn't step off his comet. Instead, he ran it straight into the lake, exploding the whole of it with his energy. A shrill hum blasted from the lake and in an instant, all the water hung in the air as a bright blue disc of cyan hue rose from the rocky depths below. James, somehow surviving the crash, looked up and grinned. He sheathed the sword and jumped into the air. With outstretched arms, hereached up and grabbed the disc. But as soon as his hand touched it, a burning pain shot through his arm.

"AAAAAHHRRHRHHRGGH!" cried James as he held his arm. Despite the excruciating pain, he refused to let go of the disc. Instead, he started pleading with it.

"Ahhh- Please... help me!" The searing pain spread through his entire body and continued to worsen, but James never loosened his grip on the disc.

Watching from her star, Celeste started to feel pity for him. Sending her voice to him, she said softly, "James... repeat this prayer to the spirit in the disc..." James listened intently, although still in considerable pain. He then repeated what she had told him.

"Guardian of the Water... please hear me. Lend your power to me so that I can heal the planet you are bound to guard!" The disc in his gloved palm glowed softly. Celeste continued,

"That is good, James... he has accepted you as his master. Now, hold your sword to the sky." James did as he was instructed, aiming his sword with the cyan disc latched to it towards the sky. Before he knew it, the disc started to spin on its own, creating a powerful vortex of energy over the blade. Crashing against the sky, waves of energy poured from the sword. Soon, an entire ocean, vast enough to cover the corners of the globe, was hovering just overhead. James closed his eyes and concentrated on the images of his friends, not losing control to the power of the spirit inside the disc. James took a firm grip of the sword and jabbed it towards the sky, calling out,

**"Healing Nebula!"** At once, the body of energy that was suspended in the sky broke its bond to the sword and flowed over the planet in magnificent rain. The surface of the jungle, barren and dead, instantly sprang to life, its glowing sheen restored in the curing rain. The animals who were affected, nearly on the verge of death, glowed a brilliant blue before getting up, healthy as can be. The healing storm continued on until it reached the city. Crossing the barriers, the rain drifted over and through the buildings and walls, evaporating the purple mist that was covering the city grounds and air. The people, themselves, took a few minutes to adjust until they could move, thanks to the rain, they were well again. The illness was finally lifting its deadly head from the planet.

In the square the moss-covered monster and Byron fought tooth and nail with Plaguture looking to poison every living thing on the planet and the red ranger doing everything in his power to keep it from happening despite suffering from the poison's affects himself. After the creature blasted the red ranger away from him, the sky overhead turned a shimmering blue. Plaguture shifted his head from left to right, clearly confused. "What... is...th...is?" The rain reached them overhead. As the drops came down, they started to produce steam as they hit the evil one. As if the rain was acid to the skin, the monster began to scream in primal fury.

"AAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHH! THI...S... IS...!" Byron, who was now kneeling on the ground and using his sword for support, felt a cool sensation as the rain touched him. Bits of purple mist evaporated from his body, leaving him rejuvenated. Standing up, he pointed his sword at Plaguture, ready for a second round.

"Time to clean up your act! **Star Disc Alpha! Nova Bihander, BURST MODE!**" His giant broadsword once again leaned forward, allowing it to release the trigger.

"BYRON!" called several voices from behind. Turning his head to see who it was, Byron couldn't help but smile under his mask. Everyone was okay.

"Guys! Thank goodness!" The fully clad figures of Jun, Hannah and Tacari were next to him, happy they could fight again. Jun explained,

"Celeste told us James mastered the Water Spirit and its power healed everyone from the plague." Byron was glad; he was never so proud of James more than this moment. Stepping forward, Plaguture ignored the rangers' conversation and raised a moist hand in their direction, spreading a stream of his menacing mist.

"Scatter!" commanded Byron, his leadership skills improving. The team of four separated, avoiding the mist as it hit the pavement but the monster wasn't finished just yet. Firing another stream of mist, he aimed for all four of them, spreading out his mist over a large area. The rangers were careful not to breathe it in, but they were reaching their limit. Nearly gasping for air, Hannah held her throat hoping to not betray herself by breathing. The same was happening with the others; they couldn't hold on for much longer.

Things were looking bleak for the heroes when, instantly, a wave of blue energy sliced through the mist, freeing the rangers from its deadly grasp. Plaguture turned to his right, facing the direction were the energy came from. There, in a splendor of circulating blue energy, was James in full ranger gear.

"James?..." Byron didn't know what to say. His friend looked different with that power... more majestic. Had he looked the same?

"Amazing..." said Jun in awe. Tacari wouldn't admit it openly, but she was impressed a bit herself. Hannah stared wide-eyed underneath her helmet. She had glimpsed what Byron had looked like while wielding a guardian, but this was nothing like that. It wasn't fueled by rage or fear. This power was fueled by James' very soul. Pulling his sword up, he slashed down again, sending another wave of energy towards the subaquatic creature. The wave hit it full force, knocking the monster back a few feet. James gave Byron a nod and said quickly,

"While we have a chance, let's finish this." Extracting the cyan disc from his sword, he walked over to Byron, who attached it to the cannon.

"You got it! Everyone, lock and load!" Placing the five discs into the slot, the rangers stood behind them, ready for the main finisher. James lead the count off.

"Ready." The monster slowly rose feet, struggling to stand. "Aim..." Jerking his head towards the rangers, he began to slowly gather every ounce of poison he had in his body and condensed it... "FIRE!" The ranger shouted together,

**"ETA BULLET!"** Byron fired the trigger, releasing the discs as they combined. Merging into a giant blast, the energy was moments away from hitting the creature. Plaguture, his body now void of any aura, fired all his energy at the Blue ranger, knowing not even he could resist this. Having a steady eye, Byron knocked James out of the way, taking the brunt of the black mist that shot from the algae-covered monster. Byron winced in pain, feeling a burning sensation throughout his whole body. But as quickly as it came... it was gone. The monster was destroyed, the blast turning it into dust. James quickly got up and asked with concern lacing his voice.

"Are you okay?" he directed this towards Byron, who nodded.

"Yeah... I feel great, actually." He gave a smile and James sighed from relief. However, no one noticed the black mist settling into the chest of the red ranger, evaporating into his body.

"DESTROY!" shouted out the now gigantic form of Plaguture. The rangers looked on and nodded to each other.

"Let's gut this fish! **BETA DRGON!****"**

**"ALPHA LION!"******

**"GAMMA TURTLE!"******

**"DELTA BEAR!"******

**"EPSILON MONKEY!"**

James used his morpher to write the symbol for "unite" in the air. **"ZORDS UNITE!"**

All five zords quickly transformed into the various body parts before combining into...

**"STRIDER KING MEGAZORD!"**

The quintet of rangers appeared in the cockpit. Plaguture spread his arms, spewing out a stream of smoke, impairing their vision. James turned his head in different directions, hoping to find him.

"Be careful, guys. He could be anywhere." The others nodded. But they didn't have to wait long for the attack. As the monster ran towards them, a sword materialized from its skin algae. The slimy blade slashed the megazord several times, even going so far as to parry the sword and shield away from the megazord as if they were toys.

Hannah shook her head. "This is bad. We can't defend against something we can't see!" James turned to Byron, speaking quickly,

"Schertfisch can handle this. We should call it." Byron nodded and smiled. He said in a delighted voice,

"Since you tamed it, I'll leave it to you, James." James grinned under his helmet and continued.

"Whatever you say, fearless leader." Pulling out the sword from the console, James slipped the cyan disc onto the hilt and spun it, calling out,

**"STAR SUMMON!"** From out of the disc, the giant swordfish came flying out, exiting the megazord. "ETA SCHERTFISCH!" called out James, as the swordfish settled between it and the monster. James spun the disc in the sword. The zord fired two missiles on its side, blasting the monster back. Pouring energy into the sword, James motioned the zord forward, causing the sharp edge of the zord to stab the monster. Spinning from the sheer force of it, Plaguture was disoriented.

"Awesome! Hey James, let's bring it together!" Byron suggested. The blue ranger nodded and took the sword out, spinning it yet again. The rangers all called out,

**"ARMOR FORM ACTIVATE!"** The zord swam high into the sky; its back fin opening in half and its head separating from the rest of its body. The main body of the zord attached itself to the back of the megazord while the head acted as a helmet to replace the shogun crown on the megazord's head. To finish the combination, fins protruded from the sides of the helmet as the rangers called out,

**"STRIDER KING MEGAZORD, AQUA MODE!"** Posing, the sword of the megazord morphed into a dual-sided blade of a spear. Moving forward, the rangers controlled the actions of the megazord. Slashing the creature's sword away, they performed a quick cut to its chest.

"Fire!" called James as the megazord bowed down, firing several missiles from its swordfish helmet. The monster twirled around from the constant assault. James said quickly,

"Alright! Time to reel 'em in!" The five took out their swords, spinning the discs resting on their hilts. The megazord tossed its sword into the air which landed into the opening produced by the helmet. The team raised their swords high and cried out,

**"ASTRAL NEBULA SLASH!"** They slashed down with their swords, making the megazord gather energy into the blade atop its crown. It bowed again, slicing the monster clean in two. It exploded into many bits before evaporating into the purple mist it utilized. Congratulations were in order for the most part.

"Thanks for the save, James." said Byron.

"Yeah; you really came through for us." Assured Hannah. Feeling a bit embarrassed, his cheeks started to turn red. He was riding high on all the props until Tacari spoke indifferently,

"Don't praise him too much; his head is full of enough hot air."

"Don't you ever have anything nice to say to me?"

"Very rarely."

"Oh, so that's how it is, eh?"

"You want to do something about it? If I remember correctly, you are the one who hit the mat 87 times during the training session."

"Is that a challenge, Tacari?"

"Maybe it is. I don't want to break that fragile body of yours."

"C'mon guys. Can't we have a happy ending?" Asked Jun, sweating under his helmet. Byron smiled and shook his head.

"Eh, at least be thankful things are back to normal." Jun dropped his hands to the side, giving up on deciphering his pink and blue teammates. Hannah giggled a bit, shooting him a smile. This action made the green ranger blush in spite of himself. Yep... like a big dysfunctional family.

*****************************************

Since the threat of the illness was over, the city of River End returned to its busy daily life. Of course, the citizens were still undergoing examinations to see if they really were cured. Suffice it to say, everyone got a clean bill of health. Mike was pleased to hear such good news since that would mean it was a victory for the rangers. The doctor who supervised the screenings was doing nothing but filing release forms and everything seemed alright. Until...

"Officer Corbett...?" Speak of the devil. Mike turned to face him and saw that his face was sullen and his expression, perplexed. Mike didn't take this as a good sign. He replied, if only hesitantly,

"Yes, Dr. Aleth?" He sighed and motioned to follow him.

"As we were screening the last patient... something unexpected turned up." Mike's breathing stopped.

"Who is the patient?" The doctor didn't say a word and simply opened the door, revealing the smiling face of Byron. Byron waved to Mike, still in total happiness.

"Hey, Mike! Came to see if I'm doing good? I'm sure the doctor was just going to give me a release form so I can go." The doctor didn't look at them. Mike took a look at the charts behind Byron. And there it was... a scan of his chest... obscured by a black, thick mist.

*******************************************

Back on the ship, Kalamax and Crescenda were still wondering just where that monster had come from... until they heard the footsteps. Walking into the room, wrapped in a vicious red aura, was the one and only lord of all darkness, Reapus. Both of his subordinates, more so Kalamax, were surprised. Crescenda spoke softly,

"What is it, my liege? Has something interrupted your rest?" Reapus didn't answer. He clenched his fists so tightly, flames started to shoot from them. Kalamax bowed down to him speaking quickly,

"Oh, my lord! Do not anger yourself! A powerful being like yourself need not worry about anything." Reapus said, in a gruff voice,

"Those rangers now have control of two of the triad... if they attain the third... our victory will not be certain. Before that happens... I want both of you to cooperate. I projected my anger and solidified it with my own will. I have already taken care of the red ranger. In precisely one week from now, no matter how much those fools struggle... he will die. Not even Schertfisch can heal such a concentration of poison." His generals were in deep awe. Even in the state he was in, Reapus continued to prove he was a dangerous foe...

TO BE CONTINUED...

_It appears evil had an ace up its sleeve and played it to their advantage. Could this new development spell the end of the optimistic Red Ranger?_

=====

End of Act 7


	8. Our Bond

**Chapter 8: Our Bond**

The city of River End was treated to clear blue skies and plentiful sunshine and every citizen there was thankful to receive such a gift. Especially considering that the day before was almost the last day any of them would spend on the planet. Plaguture's miasma had the entire population of Miranoi, including the flora and fauna of the jungle, at death's door. It was the efforts of James taming Schertfisch and the Strider Rangers that won the day...mostly. Despite everything being bright and cheerful outside, there was a dark storm hanging over the rangers' latest victory. Before being defeated once and for all, Plaguture played his trump card and infected Byron with a poison more potent than the toxin he used to nearly obliterate the planet and everyone on it. Even the healing powers of Schertfisch were unable to cure the red ranger.

Mike silently sat in his office mulling over yesterday's events. Anyone passing by his open door could tell by the expression on his face that he was still agonizing over the news about Byron. He knew deep down that he had to let the others know. But the question is, how can he call them in without alerting the red ranger? The last thing he wanted was to worry the upbeat young man. He didn't want to tell the incurable optimist that he might, in fact, be...incurable. With a heavy heart, he pushed the button on his console and called out over the P.A. system.

"Jun... Report to my office." He called. The green ranger was already up and in his favorite spot in the tower: the roof. He was thumbing through one of his favorite books when he heard Mike's voice coming through the loudspeakers. He wasn't completely sure why he was being called, but he did as he was ordered. He did manage to detect a hint of worry in the officer's voice, subtle as it was. For the astute ranger, that sent up a red flag.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Jun asked hesitantly. Mike was standing in front of his desk and his face did in fact betray the anxiety he felt. "Did something happen? You seem... distressed."

Mike let out a heavy sigh before speaking.

"Can you close the door, please?" He asked.

A lump started to form in his throat and the green ranger could ell that this may be serious. After he closed the door ever so slowly, he asked again.

"Something did happen... what?"

"When I went to visit Byron after he got hit with that black mist..." He began. He couldn't bring himself to say the words so he showed Jun the x-ray of Byron's chest that the doctor gave him.

Jun wasn't accustomed to reading charts like this, but he did manage to decipher it. A very visible black substance was lodging itself in the red ranger's thoracic area.

"...I-I thought James healed everyone." Jun said aloud, realizing what this meant.

"So did I." Mike replied. "But it looks like that black mist is stronger than that purple. Too strong for even Schertfisch to cure."

Jun's hand shook uncontrollably, his hold on the chart faltering.

"Then... how is he? I haven't seen him since that battle." Jun replied shakily.

Mike took a deep breath because if he didn't, his voice would be just as shaky and he needed to be the rock for the entire team.

"He appears fine... no visible signs of anything wrong. But, I really don't have the heart to tell him. If he finds out... it could affect him in battle."

He knew it sounded like he cared more about the red ranger's fighting ability, but he had to be truthful. To be honest, Byron had grown on him. Jun nearly crushed the chart in his hand, a bit of doubt washing over him.

"I'll take this to Celeste. She may be able to tell me more about this kind of toxin." The green ranger saluted Mike and turned to walk out the door, a new mission set before him. "I'll find a cure...but for now, I'll let the others know."

"Thank you. Remember, not a word to Byron." Mike reminded. Jun was one of his most trusted officers so he knew he could count on him.

"You have my word, sir." Jun soon left the room leaving Mike alone to ponder the red ranger's fate. The former Magna Defender took a seat at his chair and let out a heaving sigh. Byron reminded him so much of his little brother, Leo. If he lost him...

"There has to be a way to cure him!" He thought to himself.

************

Meanwhile...

The air aboard Reapus' ship was so thick with tension, you could cut it with katana. After their lord returned and told them that they had to work together to ensure that his latest plan went off without a hitch, Crescenda and Kalamax were left less than thrilled with the prospect. Nobody was more lackluster about this new wrinkle than the squid-like general. The musical general played her solemn song, staying in her corner of the room and away from her unwilling teammate. Kalamax, who was adopting the same tactic, still felt contempt towards her ever since she was chosen as temporary commander over him.

"I will not work with such a callous mute!" Muttered Kalamax as he prepped his staff, a scheme brewing. "I'll defeat the rangers myself!

Crescenda abruptly stopped playing to look at Kalamax suspiciously.

"Just what are you plotting?" She asked. "Reapus ordered us to both work on finding the final of the triad before the rangers do. If he finds out you disobeyed..."

"My dear... you think I would concoct a hair-brained scheme and disobey the almighty power of Lord Reapus?" Kalamax wasn't forthcoming about his plans. "Go back to your instrument, Crescenda. We should make this as painless as possible for both of us."

Crescenda just looked at him with her head tilted to the side.

"Very well. I'll give you all the rope you want so you can hang yourself." She said in a deadpan voice as she went back to her cherished shamisen.

"Pretentious whelp. No matter." Kalamax held his staff as he recited an incantation. "I summon you, my warrior of the grave. Come to me!"

The water surrounding the ship shot into the hull as ghastly wails emanated from the lower deck. The gray spirits merged with the water, circulating and condensing into a green portal. Stepping out of it was a nearly faceless monster. His facial features that looked like they were carved into a dark jewel were nearly invisible. He had a giant spiked shield, with a relatively large eye in the center of it. At his hip was a coiled whip like one a lion tamer would use.

"Crikey! Who's got the vegemite to call me?" Asked the creature.

(A/N: At the end of this chapter, I'll give you the English translations of some of the Australian terms.)

Kalamax was taken aback by his bravado, but he felt that this was just what they needed to succeed.

"It is I, Kalamax. I require your...unique services."

"Well, mate, ya got the right guy. What is it ya need?" He asked holding his whip. Kalamax stroked his tentacle-infested beard as he looked over his new arrival.

"My good man, have you ever heard of the Power Rangers? I'm sure they are very...popular amongst the monsters in the land of the dead."

The monster scowled at the mere mention of their name.

"I wouldn't call those wackas popular." He sneered. "They're about as welcome as dingoes at baby shower."

"Excellent." Kalamax grinned. "Your job is to eliminate them...as painfully and as torturously as possible. And while you amuse yourself with that, my lord wishes to find a certain thing that belongs to the rangers." He paused for a moment before continuing. "You are as old as the land itself. Have you heard anything about the Guardian of the Sky?"

"As a matter of fact, I heard through the bush telegraph that he's holed up in the land of the dead." He tells. "But, ay, you didn't hear that from me. I don't wanna be seen as a dobber."

"Are you quite sure?" Kalamax eyed Crescenda, who momentarily stopped playing to listen to the conversation.

"Oy, mind your own bizzo! This is between me and squid face, here." The creature ordered. "But anyways, the information's fair dinkum! No bull's wool!"

Kalamax was beside himself with glee.

"I don't care if the rumor is untrue! Go investigate! Poison it, drown it, bash it in the head! I don't care how you subdue the beast; just do it and do it NOW!"

"Now, you're talking, mate! I'll have that big cat purrin' at your feet in no time!" He said as he looked at Crescenda. "No worries. Name's Necrocon, Sheila. Maybe we can split a few shrimp on the barbie when I return." With that, he disappears to carry out his latest task. Crescenda gave her cohort a smirk before speaking.

"You have an interesting talent in picking out failures, Kalamax."

"We'll see who's a failure when we obtain the last of the triad!" Kalamax shot back.

"We'll see, indeed..." And, with those words, she resumed her sullen song.

************

Back in the city...

Byron and James were doing what best friends usually do-they were hanging out in the plaza. Neither were aware of the news about the red ranger's health.

"Well, Byron, that definitely was a close call yesterday. Thankfully that fish had a heart, otherwise we wouldn't be having this conversation right now." James recalled.

"Yeah, I know." Byron replied as something popped into his mind. "Speaking of conversations...the one you had with Tacari after she got hit with that mist... Is there something...going on between you, two?"

James stopped in his tracks and choked on the air he breathed in.

"W-WHAT!" He was blushing intensely. "Me... and her? That's... I can't even... don't even joke!" His sentences got more and more incomprehensible as time went on and the grin on Byron's face steadily grew at his friend's stammering.

"Uh huh." He said simply before he started singing. "James and Tacari sitting in a tree. K-I-" He would have finished his spelling lesson if James hadn't put his hand over his friend's mouth.

"Finish that sentence and **you'll** be the one hanging upside down from the vines. Capisce?" James warned.

Byron just looked at his friend with wide doe eyes and nodded quickly. That was enough for James to release the red ranger's mouth.

"Fine, fine. I won't say another word on the matter. Ranger's honor." He said throwing up the Boy Scout salute.

"Byron, that's for the Boy Scouts." James corrected.

"Well... they never made up one for Power Rangers. Cut me some slack." Byron shrugged with a grin...before he started humming the self same teasing tune.

"You're a real piece of work, Byron." James sighed and shook his head. "Yep... a real piece of work."

While the two friends ribbed each other, Jun was watching them from the other side of the street.

_"Great. I was hoping to catch James alone."_ He thought as he ran up to the red and blue rangers. "Hey!"

"Oh, hey Jun. What's up?" James asked casually.

Jun had to think quickly. He hated to lie to Byron but it had to be done for his sake.

"Um... Mike needs to see you, James. It's important." He said causing James to nod. Well, it wasn't a complete lie. Mike did need to see him.

"I see. I guess I'll see you later, Byron. Sorry to cut this short, dude."

"It's okay. We can catch up later." Byron replied with a smile.

James gave him a small smirk before leaving with Jun. He could tell something was up when he looked back at the Green Ranger. When the two were out of earshot, Jun spoke.

"Sorry, I had to pull you away like that, but something serious has happened and I couldn't say it in front of him."

"Serious like what?" James asked, now worried. "Jun... What's going on?"

Not knowing any other way to go about it, Jun swallowed hard and decided to just come right out and say it.

"Remember when Byron got hit with that black mist?"

James shuddered. He knew the mist was originally intended for him but Byron knocked him out of the way.

"Yes. I gave him an extra dose of energy from Schertfisch because of it. Why?"

The green ranger sighed and showed James the x-ray of Byron's chest...more specifically, the area where the black mist had settled.

"I don't think Schertfisch can help him. Whatever that mist was...it was like maximum strength."

James' right hand shook when Jun relayed Byron's bleak prognosis. How could this happen?

**"This can't be! Are you screwing with me, because if you are, I'm not laughing!"** James was enraged that he failed. He grabbed Jun's collar saying. **"This isn't true!"**

Jun forcefully pulled away from the blue ranger's grasp.

"James, have I ever lied to you since we met! Even once?" He asked. "I wouldn't be showing AND telling you this if it wasn't true. Believe me. I wish it WAS a joke!"

James shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't believe that he failed his best friend. Byron literally took a bullet for him and he was powerless to return the favor.

"No... no... " He couldn't understand it, nor did he want to.

"That's not the half of it. I still haven't told the girls yet." Jun said solemnly.

Although James was wracked with guilt over not being able to help Byron, he composed himself long enough to ask an important question:

"How-how long?" It was one of those questions that you didn't want to know the answer to.

"Mike didn't say." Jun said honestly. "I don't even know if the doctor knows the answer to that."

James clenched his fist and when they finally reached the tower, he rammed it against the nearest wall. It was bad enough that he knew about Byron's condition...now he had to relay it to the girls. He took a slow, deep breath to compose himself before speaking.

"I'll talk to Tacari. You tell Hannah." James said quietly. "We have to make sure he doesn't fight. It might aggravate the poison."

Jun nodded in agreement before speaking.

"Okay. Good luck. I may have to keep Hannah from fainting when I tell her." He said seriously.

"I'll have to make sure I don't end up skewered. Byron was the first one whom Tacari didn't feel like punching through a wall."

That made Jun cringe. That was a testament of Byron's affability. If he can make a person like Tacari refrain from killing him, than he really was someone special.

"Like I said, good luck." He said shaking the blue ranger's hand.

James nodded slowly and the two rangers parted ways to deliver the shocking news to the pink and yellow rangers. It was going to be a sorrowful day all around.

************

It didn't take long for Jun to reach River End school. With a heavy sigh, he went inside and asked around until he found Hannah's classroom. He looked inside to see her teaching and knocked on the door.

"And here is-oh, could you get that, Cliff?"

"Yes, ma'am." The boy agreed as he walked to the door. Once the boy opened it, Hannah exclaimed, "Oh, Jun! Should I call the sub?" She had a feeling she was needed for something if Jun made a house call.

The green ranger looked at Hannah and her class and sighed. He didn't want to pull her away from her kids, but she had to be told.

"That might be a good idea." He said honestly.

"O-okay." She wasn't sure what this was about, but she could tell that Jun was serious. "Okay, kids. Miss Chan is going to finish." Once the teachers switched hands, Hannah stepped out and walked with Jun in the hallway. "What is it? You seem worried."

Jun gently took her hand and walked her outside where they had some privacy.

"It's about Byron." He began. "That black mist he was hit with...apparently, was much stronger than the purple."

"How-how much stronger?" Hannah asked shakily. Something in the pit of her stomach told her that she wouldn't like the answer. Jun sensed this as well and he had her to sit down on the bench.

"Well, Mike got this from the doctor examining him." He handed her the x-ray. "Even Schertfisch couldn't heal him."

Hannah placed her hand over her mouth when she heard the news. She was literally speechless. She couldn't formulate the words possible to express herself. Jun didn't know what else to say at that point. What COULD he say? In the short time he knew Byron, he admired his optimism among other qualities. Hannah's stomach churned and she felt like throwing up. She grabbed Jun's arm tightly, hoping she didn't leave a mark on his skin.

"We can't lose him, Jun..." She managed to whisper.

Jun may not have been the most social one in the group, but even he developed a soft spot for the red ranger.

"I know, Hannah. I know..." He whispered back, holding her hand.

Hannah held back the beginnings of what would have been tears. Now wasn't the time. She couldn't just give up.

"Then... we'll look for a cure. It isn't hopeless, right?" She asked hopefully.

"Right. There has to be a cure, Hannah." Jun reassured but, deep down, he wondered if it really was hopeless.

************

Meanwhile...

James made the trek through the jungles of Miranoi to find his most untamed team member. All the while, he had a strange feeling of deja vu. He kept walking through vines and under large leaves until he tripped on a branch. His fall sent him into a clearing that looked oddly familiar to him. James looked around and realized that this was the same place Byron and James first met Tacari. Of course, the machine wreckage was gone.

"Ironic." James said aloud.

"How so?" Tacari said managing to sneak up on the blue ranger, scaring the bejeezus out of him in the process.

**"Holy sh-! Don't do that!"** James gasped, clutching his chest. He really didn't know how to act around her. Tacari looked at James' flustered expression and she, too, was a bit confused as to how to act with him around. So, she went with indifferent.

"There's no emergency, otherwise Mike or Celeste would have called." Tacari said plainly. "So, why are you here?"

James then suddenly recalled why he came and dread started to creep up.

"Well... that is... it's about Byron."

The amazon noted the tone of voice and knew it was serious.

"What's happened?"

James didn't want to admit it so willingly, but he knew Tacari didn't beat around the bush and figured that she'd want the same courtesy. He looked her in the eye and said, almost in slow motion,

"He's dying. That Styxerian from yesterday sent some kind of incurable poison into him. I-I can't heal him!" James angrily banged his fist against a tree.

It was like someone had frozen time. It couldn't be true, could it? The first person brave enough to venture into her jungle, just to be her friend, apparently had one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel.

**"No! I won't believe that!"** She growled. "There has to be a way to save him! I'll search this entire planet for a cure!"

James knew how she felt, but couldn't think of what to say.

"We're searching, too. We'll definitely find a cure... and make those bastards pay for even trying something like this!"

"I want their hides!" She said in a low voice. James agreed with her 100% and if this was a few days before, that would have been considered the impossible dream.

"Then, let's find a way to heal Byron and then we can pay them back... with interest."

For the first time since knowing each other, James and Tacari were in total agreement.

************

Meanwhile in the Land of the Dead...

Necrocon was on a search of his own, but his search had nothing to do with the rangers' welfare. He was looking for something that could put the final nails in their coffins.

"Now, where can that zord be." He asked as he skulked through the barren wasteland. "Here, kitty kitty! Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

A deafening roar alerted him to the presence of the zord in question. Its claws spun around as it took a stab at Necrocon with its mighty drills. The Styxerian backflipped out of the way before the rotating drills could impale him.

"Ah! There you are, ya little nipper! Ain't you a beaut! Now, you don't wanna drill, me!" He said cracking his whip. "I have some more bonzer targets for ya!"

The moment Necrocon cracked his whip, something mysterious began to happen to the zord. The mechanical tiger pulled its drills away, but it looked like it was in pain. The large cat shook its head as if some internal battle was taking place.

"That's it! I'm your daddy, now!" He said, giving his whip another crack.

The eyes of the zord flashed red and it settled into a bow, tamed and domesticated.

"Heh. Good kitty." He smiled. "Now, I have some new toys for you to play with, in five pretty colors. Follow me."

The tiger became its spiritual essence and willingly followed the tamer, its mind not withstanding his unshakeable control. Necrocon whistled Waltzing Matilda as he made his way to the surface world, fully intent on having his new pet use the city as a scratching post.

************

Meanwhile at River's End...

The remaining rangers met up with Mike and decided that they had to keep Byron from fighting to keep the poison from spreading. Which meant that, for now, they had to face Reapus' monsters without their Red Ranger. After leaving the Tower, the foursome were coming to grips with Byron's fate in their own ways. Hannah was given the rest of the day off by her boss when she told her about her friend. She didn't divulge any information about him being a ranger for fear of revealing her own identity. Jun was combing through every medical journal the Command Tower housed trying to find a cure. James decided to vent his frustrations by working out at the Tower's gym. The guilt he felt over not being able to heal Byron was overwhelming. Tacari, loner that she was, decided to keep her promise by seeing if her precious jungle had anything that could purge the toxin resting in the red ranger's chest. All four were busying themselves in the aftermath of Mike's news when...

"Rangers!" Mike said over their morphers. He intentionally left the connection to Byron's morpher closed and made it so the other morphers couldn't transmit to the red ranger's morpher, either. "We have a visitor! And he looks like a nasty one."

"We're on it, Mike." James said, taking temporary command over the team.

In the outskirts of the city where the wall met the jungle, a portal had opened up. The demonic tamer, Necrocon, stepped out of it and onto the freshly cut grass, perfectly content to wait for his prey.

"Won't be long now." He said as he cracked his whip and essentially whipping the citizens there into a frightful frenzy. Their screams brought a sense of joy to the hypnotic tamer. "Ripper! All I need's my didgeridoo and a tinnie and I can really get this bash started!"

But before he could continue his chaos, a team of four arrived at the scene and each one had a fire lit under them. James looked at his teammates and said quickly,

"We finish this before Byron gets here; got it?" Leading the morph, he pulled out his morpher.

"Got it!" The other three agreed as they took out their morphers as well.

**"RIDE****THE****NO****VA!"** The four stars shoot into the sky and, just as quickly, their comets arrive back on the planet with James and company as their ranger selves.

"Now, ain't you all laired up! I was waiting for you blokes to show up!" Necrocon said.

"Now's not a good time to screw with us!" James shouted as he lead the assault, sword raised. "Come on, Hannah!"

"Right!" She agreed, her own sword poised and ready to strike.

Both rangers charged the monster and brought their swords down hoping to make quick work of this new threat. Necrocon brought up his shield just in time and used the edges to launch a counter attack. James and Hannah's suits sparked as the shield's thorns carved into them, launching both rangers backwards.

"All right! Who's next!" Necrocon challenged. Jun nodded to Tacari and said quickly,

"Double-team, go!"

The pink ranger jumped into the air and opted to go high while Jun went low. Jun pulled his sword back, thinking of piercing Necrocon from below with a quick thrust, but Necrocon was nonchalant about both attacks. While he kicked Jun out from under him, he held up his shield to block Tacari's aerial assault and used his other hand to grab his whip.

"Crikey, you guys are making this way too easy! Not that I mind!" Necrocon said as his face began to shine a weird purple color. He lined up his gaze right at the green ranger; he had Jun right in his sites.

"Wha- Jun, look out!" Shouted James. He picked himself up and pushed the green ranger out of the way, taking the brunt of the attack. **"AAAAHHHH!"**

The blue ranger flashed purple for a moment giving his teammates a reason to be concerned.

"James!" Tacari shouted.

After a few moments of holding his head, James lowered his sword and stood tall. He turned around to face Jun and slashed down in an attempt to slice him open. Jun rolled out of the way in the nick of time.

"James! What's going on?"

Tacari ran to him in the hopes of snapping him out of it.

"James...it's us!" She called out.

The blue ranger uttered a low growl and stopped his attack on Jun for a moment. When his gaze fell on the amazon, he quickly raised his sword again, preparing for a strike on his comrade in pink.

"Tacari!" Hannah tackled her out of the way and the two girls rolled to safety. "He has James hypnotized. Not good."

"Oh...that ain't the half of it, sheilas!" Necrocon chuckled evilly. He had one more surprise in store for the rangers. He brought out his whip and gave it a mighty crack. A few seconds later, the ground rumbled underneath them. Like a volcano, the mechanical tiger erupted from the ground, with drills spinning wildly and roared so fiercely, the skies, themselves, shook.

"What the-!" Jun asked in shock. The yellow ranger stepped back as debris landed in front of her and shouted.

"Is that a zord?" She asked, voicing the thoughts of her teammates. Tacari craned her neck to look up at the zord and she felt something...

"Yes... and that monster has control of it... like James."

"What! You can't be serious!" Shouted Jun, suddenly horrified by this turn of events.

"Oh, but she is! I control this kitty and blue bloke over there!" Necrocon shouted. "And to prove it...blue boy, take them out!"

With that order, he cracks his whip causing the blue ranger to snap at attention. James grips his sword and runs forward, aiming for Jun first. He goes in for a stab, but Jun parries and barely dodges. Slashing at him again, James pushes him into a tree and is about to skewer him.

"A little help here?" Jun shouts to his female teammates.

Hannah and Tacari rush in to help, but James quickly turn to fight off the girls. It was like Necrocon's spell had infused him with more power.

"How can we break the spell when we can't get near him?" Called out Hannah as she raised her sword to block the coming attack.

"We have to think of something!" The amazon said as she tried to mount some form of counter attack. James sidestepped to avoid the jungle woman's attack and swung his own sword to counter. His swing missed Tacari, but it hit Hannah dead in the chest, the force of the blow sending her into a tree.

**"Hannah!"** Tacari shouted as the yellow ranger demorphed. Seeing her fallen comrade, the amazon charged in with all she had. But Necrocon wasn't through just yet. With a subtle crack of the whip, James' arm fell limp and he said slowly,

"Ta... ca... ri..."

The pink ranger's stance softened, but she still kept her guard up as she sensed that something wasn't quite right.

"James?" She asked carefully.

"Tacari! Be careful!" Jun warned.

"Ye... s." James raised his open hand to his head. "Fi... ght... ing."

"James..." Tacari, for reasons unknown to her, went to him. "Fight it!"

"A...gghh..." He moaned. Necrocon was enjoying this little turn of events. He didn't want to spoil his surprise just yet, so he just kept watching.

"James, please...it's me. Remember?" Tacari pleaded.

The taming demon couldn't stop laughing at the scene.

"Whoa, boy! This is like those soaps on the ol' telly!" He snapped his whip again and said, "Play time's over, ya rugrats!"

Before Tacari could blink, James raised his sword up and slashed down as quickly as Necrocon did with his whip. Sparks flew from the pink ranger's uniform as the blade made contact.

**"AAAAAAHHH!" **Tacari's screams echoed through out the battlefield.

"Tacari!" Hannah yelled in horror.

"No!" Jun shouted in shock.

Soon, the jungle girl joined Hannah in the ranks of demorphed rangers. She mentally kicked herself for falling for such an obvious ploy.

_**"Xoh eluoc J mlaf sof saht?"**_ She whispered to herself as she hit the ground with her fist in anger.

Seeing this as his chance to finish them off, James turned his attention to the pink and yellow rangers who were rendered defenseless. Before the Blue Ranger had the chance to do anything, Jun ran over to cover the girls. Jun swallowed hard as he fought with James, their swords clashing in sparks. The only problem was... James was much stronger thanks to Necrocon's spell. With a heavy stab to his chest, Jun was thrown back farther than the girls and hit the ground, demorphing in the process.

"Good on ya! That was ace, blue boy!" Necrocon laughed as Tacari, Jun and Hannah laid on the ground, defeated. "Heh, you guys are all froth and no beer! Hope you blokes realize you can't beat me. I haven't lost a catch yet! Now, I'll let blue boy, here, put the boot in! Ooroo!" He was about to crack his whip to order James to dispose of them permanently when...

**"Don't think so!"** called a voice from his left. Necrocon turned to see the fifth ranger, in glorious red, with his sword at the ready. Taking him by surprise, he slashed Necrocon twice in the shape of an X, making the monster stagger back. He smiled when he looked at the others. "Did I miss the party or something?"

"Bugger off! Who told you to stick your bib in, ya nark?" Necrocon shouted.

"Byron?" Jun asked looking up in surprise. He was half happy to see him, but half unhappy because of his illness.

"That monster has James!" Hannah groaned from her spot on the ground.

"And a new zord!" Tacari added as she struggled to stand.

"Wait, wha-" Unfortunately, Byron didn't have time to ask questions because James was on him, making a bee-line with his sword. The red ranger maneuvered about, dodging the sword and blocking the second strike with his own. "James, dude! What in the... snap out of it!"

"He can't, ya dingbat!" Necrocon shouted. "He and this big kitty and under my spell. And it's gonna take more than you ankle biters to stop us!"

Byron glanced from him to James and then back again.

"I won't believe that! James is my friend and he's going to break free from this curse!" Byron shoved James off and, feeling very guilty of his next action, slashed him diagonally, making him twirl.

"Oy! You're bonkers if you think that's gonna work." The demon tamer scoffed...but Byron had a plan.

Byron motioned for James to come forward and waited for his chance.

"C'mon, James! Show me whatcha got!"

The hypnotic tamer watched Byron's sudden change of heart and was almost as confused as the rangers.

"You sure you didn't get this one from the looney bin? This bloke wants to cark it!" Necrocon laughed.

The remaining rangers watched the battle between red and blue and Jun thought Byron finally lost his mind.

_"He's flipped. He's completely flipped out!"_ He thought.

Hannah shook her head, saying, "What are you doing?"

Tacari, on the other hand, watched with interest.

"Let him try." The pink ranger said firmly. _"If he succeeds, he's getting a lot more respect from me."_ She thought.

James ran forward again but Byron didn't bother blocking the hit and took the sword to his shoulder. He winced in pain, but the move opened the door wide enough for the Red Ranger to walk through. With James close enough, Byron opens the holster on James' side, taking out a familiar cyan disc before backing away.

"Time for a taste of your own medicine!" He placed the disc onto the sword hilt and spun it. **"Aurora Blade!"**

The energy sporadically moved around the sword, making it very unstable. It was clear that Byron couldn't control the power which was very different from Kafer, even if they were the same in level. Taking what he could get, he ran towards James calling out,

**"Healing Nebula!"**

James went to block, but Byron was quicker. He sidestepped and ducked, sending a slashing through James' waist. The blue ranger didn't let go of his sword, but the move sent a shockwave through Necrocon, giving him a slight headache.

"Oy! What did ya do, ya bloody dipstick!" Necrocon shouted.

James faltered a bit and managed to move, although it was incredibly hard.

"Byron... what in the world...?"

Jun and the girls sat there dumbfounded at Byron's success. Against all odds, he managed to pull it off.

"Holy crap! He actually did it!" Jun exclaimed.

"Why are you so surprised? Jeez, guys, have a bit more confidence, will ya?" Replied Byron, his humor still intact. He turned to Necrocon and said quickly, "Time to put this shrimp on the barbie! Star Disc ALPHA! Nova Bihander! BURST MODE!"

Seeing that things were turning in their favor, Jun, Hannah and Tacari stood up and shouted...

**"RIDE****THE****NOVA!"**

All three remorphed and joined the red and blue rangers as they stood in front of the demonic tamer. The red ranger placed the Kafer disc onto the cannon and each ranger called out,

**"ALPHA!"******

**"BETA!"******

**"GAMMA!"******

**"DELTA!"******

**"EPSILON!"**

Each one placed their star discs into the chamber and with a forceful group cry, they sounded off,

**"ZETA BULLET!"**

Byron pulled the trigger sending a rush of energy towards the demonic tamer until it collides. Blue lightning crackles over his defeated body.

**"This is bloody wrong!"** Necrocon shouts as his body exploded.

James' body glowed purple for a second, but then the hypnotic aura exploded from him. He moved his arms and hands freely, thankful it was over.

**"I'm back! Awesome!"** James shouted happily. His friends ran over to him, but there was one small problem. The tiger zord was still under Necrocon's spell and rolled in to pick up where his master left off.

"Hit the deck!" called Byron as they scattered to avoid it.

"I don't get it! When we beat Necrocon, it released James from his hold. I thought the spell was broken on that thing, too?" Hannah said.

"Looks like this tiger isn't going to play nice until we beat him." The green ranger groaned as he and the others looked up. Jun didn't want to pose his next question, but he knew they need him. "Byron... do the honors?"

"I was hoping you'd ask." Byron nodded before shouting: **"ALPHA LION!"******

**"BETA DRAGON!"******

**"GAMMA TURTLE!"******

**"DELTA BEAR!"******

**"EPSILON MONKEY!"**

They all drew the symbol for their zords to grow so they could take on the renegade tiger until a plume of flame exploded where Necrocon fell and soon he grew to mammoth proportions.

**"Stiff bickies, ya bloody drongos! I'm back and I'm as big as Uluru! Stand back; I'm going troppo!"** Necrocon bellowed as he looked down at the rangers.

"Great! Now we have **two** problems!" Hannah sighed.

"Guys! You hold off Necrocon as long as you can. I'll try to tame this cat." Byron ordered.

"You got it, man!" James agreed as he and the other rangers raced to take on the hypnotic tamer. Meanwhile, the red ranger was preparing to square off against the tiger zord who was still under Necrocon's spell. Both mechanical cats let out deafening growls as they faced each other.

"Why do I feel like this should be on Animal Planet?" Byron asked himself as he charged. "Here I come, Kitty!"

Byron commanded his lion to move forward as the center wheel on the tiger zord rotated, spinning its quadruple drills. The robotic felines clashed; sparks flew as they dug their claws into each other. Both metal felines wanted to come out as the alpha male in their confrontation. When the tiger's drills landed a blow that pushed the red lion back...

"Oh, so that's how you wanna play?" Byron asked. "Fine! I can play rough, too!"

The Alpha lion rammed its head into the tiger knocking it onto its side. It then bit its center wheel, holding it in its jaws for a moment before pushing it away from him. The tiger skidded back until it stopped. It's red eyes blinked on and off before its head fell.

"Did I do it?" He asked himself.

The same purple aura that surrounded James flashed from the tiger before shattering. Soon a glowing white disc appeared in the red ranger's hands. When Byron realized what he had and what it meant, he was elated.

"All right! The tiger's free!" Byron cheered. "I guess you're thanking me for helping you, right?" A loud roar was heard from the robotic tiger. "You're welcome. Now, let's play with your new scratching post!"

He leapt from his lion to board the tiger zord, taking the newly acquired disk with him. Once inside, he placed the disc onto the sword hilt and slid the sword into the podium.

"Guys, welcome our new team member!"

**"WHAT! No fair, ya ruddy yank!"** Necrocon shouted.

The other four rangers managed to push back Necrocon long enough to see that Byron had succeeded in taming another zord.

"Unbelievable!" Jun said in surprise.

"Yes, he did it!" Hannah cheered while Tacari nodded in approval.

"Hey, guys! Mind if I get in on this?" Byron asked, cheerful as ever.

"Go ahead! You earned it!" James said allowing his best friend his moment to try out his new toy.

"I'd love to see you try! And you!" Necrocon shouted at the tiger. "I'll teach you to turn on me. You're both up $#!+'s creek without a paddle!"

"Let's show him what it feels like to be a mouse!" Byron said to the tiger who growled in agreement.

The red ranger urged on his mechanical comrade and the zord rolled forward, its quartet of drills spinning menacingly. The demonic tamer fired lasers at the tiger zord from its thorned shield but to no avail. The white tiger zord sped by striking Necrocon with its drills. Byron then hung a u-turn and, on its second pass, dug a massive trench. Byron then spun out with all four of the zord's drills landing crushing blows on the tiger's former master. As it fell back, the ground split open causing Necrocon to fall through the cracks and get stuck.

"Cripes! Can't we talk about this, mate?" Necrocon begged.

"Now's our chance!" Byron shouted to his friends.

"On it!" They shouted back as they raced towards their leader.

**"ZORDS UNITE!"** Byron shouted as he wrote the word "unite" in the air. All five zords reformed themselves and came together to form...

**"STRIDER KING MEGAZORD!"** They yelled confidently.

"Let's bury him once and for all!" Byron said from inside the tiger's cockpit to the pleasure of his teammates. He spun the white disc on his hilt and shouted: **"ARMOR FORM ACTIVATE!"**

The white tiger zord separated its drill legs from its body and rearranged itself to form the Strider King's newest armor. The armor attached to its back and a new helmet, adorned with a large golden ring, was placed on its head.

**"STRIDER KING MEGAZORD, CAELI MODE!"** They shouted. The four drills spun in response.

"You guys are all piss and wind! You can't beat me!" Necrocon said, his bravado seemingly writing a check his butt can't cash.

Both parties lunged forward. The Caeli megazord drew its sword and Necrocon brought up his shield hoping to use it for offense as well as defense. The tamer held his own against Byron and company...until it tried to use his thorned shield for an attack. The Megazord stopped that with a headbutt, the megazord's drills giving the move some extra power.

"I'm not going out like this! Choke on this!"

Necrocon brought up his shield and again fired lasers in the hopes of stopping the megazord cold, but no such luck. The rangers pressed on as if the lasers had no effect on them.

"I don't know about you, but I'm sick of this guy!" Hannah spoke up.

"Let's send him back to the outback!" Jun added.

"Sounds like a plan!" Pulling his sword from his podium, Byron spun the disc and shouted: "ASTRAL CELESTIAL CHARGE!"

The red ranger lunged his sword forward, the megazord leaned down and its four drills spun wildly. Sparks flew from the rotating blades as it charged forward. Necrocon held up his shield hoping it would deflect the attack. With great force, the megazord easily crushed the shield and the demon holding it causing a massive explosion. Streams of sparks flew from Necrocon's body as his end was nearing.

**"Crikey! Now I know how Steve Irwin feels!"** He shouted as he fell to the ground, exploding as he did.

"Reapus sets 'em up..." Byron began.

"We knock 'em down!" The others chimed in.

************

After their latest victory, the rangers were all at the Command Tower. They were just sitting around the recreation area talking about the day's events, conveniently leaving out Byron's illness.

"Man...you guys don't know what it was like being controlled by that freak." James shuddered.

"If I were to describe it, you looked like you were high... or drunk. I couldn't really tell with you slashing at me every two seconds." Jun replied rolling his eyes.

"Oh, come on. It's not like he wanted to. He was being controlled." Hannah said, taking James' side.

"Under the influence, you mean." Jun was joking of course, but it was just too good for him to pass up.

Of course, while the others were chatting, Tacari was sitting on the window sill away from them. She still wasn't completely used to the idea of being so close to civilization.

"Okay...leave him alone." Byron chuckled as he also came to his friend's aid...for the moment. Soon, a mischievous smirk crossed the loveable red ranger's lips. "At least that's over with. Besides, we have more important things to talk about."

"Oh, you mean like their midnight rendevous?" Jun pointed to Tacari and James. "I swear; you'd think they're together or something."

Tacari sat on the sill stone faced while James' eyes widened in shock.

**"Byron!"** James shouted in surprise. But the one in question was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Heh, he said it; I didn't!" Byron said trying to sound innocent, but James wasn't believing him. "I swear, James; I wasn't even near you guys!"

Jun couldn't help it and he let out a chuckle himself.

"That fight... Tacari had a 'moment'." The green ranger grinned as he looked at the pink ranger.

"Stop picking on them. If they are, then good for them." The three of them continued to theorize, ignoring the fact that the other two were actually in the room.

"You're reading too much into my actions. I was trying to free him from Necrocon's control. Nothing more." Tacari interjected seriously. James wasn't as calm about the whole thing.

"For the last time! We... are... NOT... together!" James stressed.

Byron and Jun both had stupid grins on their faces and the two rangers began singing.

"James and Tacari-" Jun started.

"Sitting in a tree-" Byron continued.

"K-I-S-S-I-N–" But before Jun could sing out the last letter, Tacari flung two knives into the chairs of the singing boys...right between their legs and dangerously close to their...little rangers.

"**GEE! **I was just kidding!" Jun shouted in horror.

"Whoa! Nice shot!" James laughed. He may not have liked Tacari, but he did admire how she handled ridicule.

"What do you mean? I missed." The amazon said the last two words while looking dead at the red and green rangers. Byron gulped loud enough for everyone to hear while Jun went pale.

"I'd make a comment on that... but for the safety of my functioning anatomy, I think I'll pass." Jun said, his voice an octave higher than before.

"Wise move." Tacari agreed with a slow nod.

_"Men are morons."_ Hannah thought to herself as she saw the guys get what was coming to them. Se decided to keep her comments to herself. She didn't want to give the boys more ammo to hurt themselves.

While the guys, with looks of fear in their faces, tried to get out of the chairs without much injury, James quickly looked at Tacari and gave her a wink. The jungle girl flashed a quick smirk back.

=====

They're sharing a chuckle now, but they better enjoy it because it's all downhill from here.

=====

Okay, as promised, here's the list of Strine lingo used in this chapter and their meanings. Enjoy.

************

Vegemite: Sandwich spread derived from vegetable yeast extract, dark brown, gooey, salty.

Mate: friend

Wacka/wacker: crazy person

Bush telegraph: town gossip

Dobber: snitch

Fair dinkum: real, true, genuine

Bull's wool: misleading information

No worries: Expression of forgiveness or reassurance

Sheila: woman

Barbie: barbecue

Nipper: young child

Beaut: extremely good; an expression of approval

Bonzer: ecxellent

Waltzing Matilda: Australia's unofficial national anthem

Ripper: great

Didgeridoo: long, wooden musical instrument

Tinnie: can of beer

Bash: party

All laired up: flashily dressed

Bloke: man

Crikey!: general exclamation

Telly: t.v.

Rugrats: small children

Good on ya: well done

Ace: very good

All froth no beer: superficial, silly

Put the boot in: to attack someone when they are already down.

Ooroo: goodbye

Bugger off: Go away! Get lost!

Stick your bib in: to interfere

Nark: killjoy, spoilsport

Dingbat: idiot

Amkle biter: small child

Looney bin: insane asylum

Cark it: die

Oy: Hey!

Bloody: known as the great Aussie adjective, because of its frequent use.

Dipstick: despicable person

Stiff bickies: too bad! tough luck!

Drongo: idiot

Uluru: Ayer's Rock

Go troppo: go berserk

Yank: American

Up $#!+ creek without a paddle: in big trouble

Cripes!: Geneal exclamation

All piss and wind: boastful, full of ****

-

_The team made it through a perilous situation once again! Although things look bleak on the horizon for our red ranger, the team grows stronger as everyday passes. Although... changes are coming to the serene planet... are either side ready for it?_

=====

End of Act 8


	9. Dusk Before Dawn, Pt I

**Chapter 09 - Dusk Before Dawn, Pt. 1**

=====

Several days later...

The distant empty void that is space rarely gets disturbed more than once every few years. Especially around an atmosphere of a relatively primitive planet like Miranoi. It was a curious case then, when not one, but two comets, of a star's length and width, began to speed towards it. Their destinations were the same as they remained parallel of each other. One, a brilliant surge of crimson, the other a pure luster of gold. They spiraled between each other's path, each time missing each other by a hair's length.

Once they hit the atmosphere, they finally met in a giant explosion. Their energies mixed, one trying to out do the other. They hit the ground long before they stopped fighting. Breaking apart, they flew in opposite directions. The golden light shot towards the city, while the crimson one left towards the river. They created a linear path of cleared jungle, the remains of which were in ashes. The one in gold first made it to its destination first. It exploded into a white flash before disappearing completely...

The other one crashed into the river, plowing through the depths and, following the same fashion, exploded as it hit the bottom, causing the entire stream to erupt with white light...

*************************************************************************** ***********

"What is this?" Celeste, who had witnessed the events that transpired only moments before, replayed the footage of the two entities entering the planet's atmosphere. She recognized the crimson one quite well, almost vividly. The golden one... made her heart skip a beat. She couldn't place exactly where she felt this kind of energy from, but it was definitely familiar.

"Could it be...?" she silently hoped that she was right. If he had returned, then this war would be speeding to a fast end. Behind her, the core of the star, which shone with the ferocity of the ranger powers, started to glow a faint gold.

*************************************************************************** ************

Back in the dwelling of River End, things were just as confusing. The explosion had caused quite a stir in and around the Tower. People had crowded around the perimeter, clearly worried about what had just happened, some even shouting it was the start of a nuclear attack... or something. Staring from outside the crowd, Byron and James just eyed the barrage of people. James was quick to comment.

"I'm kind of amazed those doors can hold them back. That's one big mob they got there." Byron nodded, kind of curious for a different reason.

"Although... I wonder what was that flash of light? If it was an enemy, I would think Celeste or Mike would've given us a heads up." James shrugged.

"I don't know. We'll slip in once everything's quiet. Can't do anything with them in the way." The two agreed and turned to leave when a bloodcurdling scream alerted them back to the front of the tower.

"What in the-" James and Byron were quick to draw their morphers, but they softened a bit when they saw who was the middle of the disturbance. Standing next to a dogpile of innocent bystanders (who were either very brave or very stupid) was the wild child and queen of all things jungle, Tacari. James tried to hide his face.

"Is it okay to be embarrassed for KNOWING her?"

"I'm not sure if that's embarrassment or you're just blushing." jabbed Byron playfully.

"If I wasn't so concentrated on figuring out why she's so pissed, I'd smack you right now!" snapped back James. The pair of rangers ran over to the young woman, who was shouting very profane words in her native tongue.

"J saews n'I hniog pt qir uuo suoy tenitsetni ena fvres neht pt fht tgod, voy tdratsab! MIKE! UEG OWOD FREH!" Her voice traveled over the entire distance of the tower. In order to avoid a public incident (at least not a bigger one), Mike opened the door quickly and grabbed her, shutting the doors before the crowd started to get up again. James and Byron made it to the door, entered the code and fought to close the door behind them, the sheer magnitude of people forcing their way in. Finally, the two managed to heave the door closed, engaging the locks.

"I'm going to guess this isn't a good day for Mike." Byron suggested. They heard the familiar shouting above them, only slightly less crazed then before.

*************************************************************************** *

Above them, Mike had the difficult ordeal of calming her down. And boy was it difficult.

"An entire stretch of forest, from here to the southside of the river, gone!" She was furious. Mike was confused.  
"I already stopped the contractors. No one's allowed to bring construction equipment out of the gate!" Tacari shook her head.

"This wasn't machinery! It was arson. Or a weapon of some kind. There is a line of smoking cinders and ashes trailing from this city... care to explain THAT?" Mike bit his lip. He really had no idea what Tacari was getting at, but he grabbed his communicator and said to her,

"... I'll call the other rangers, you guys can investigate it." Tacari wasn't exactly happy, but it was half-way satisfying to her.

"You do that..." Mike opened a line of communications and began to message the rangers...

*************************************************************************** ***

"I don't hear her screaming anymore... Mike must've calmed her down." commented James as the two rangers made their way up the stairs.

"Yeah..." Byron proceeded to climb the steps. His steps echoed through the Tower, each time they seemed to grow louder. The steps above him started to sway from side to side, making him a bit more dizzy.

"You okay?" James asked, concerned. Byron didn't answer. He started to wobble, his vision fading. James, thanks to his reflexes caught Byron as he fell backwards. "HEY! Byron! BYRON! Dammit! MIKE! TACARI!" James began to call for help as he hoisted Byron up the rest of the stairs. Byron couldn't answer, but he heard the faint sound of dozens of footsteps as he checked out.

*************************************************************************** *****

Meanwhile... the ship rocked and rolled through the water, being shaken by the impact of that comet. Reapus thundered from his room, pushing the drape aside.

"What in the name of wickedness was that?" Kalamax was laying on the floor, unconscious from the aftermath. Crescenda, as if she was bolted to the floor, didn't move. She continued to play her instrument without abandon. Reapus looked around. Nothing seemed out of place...

"Oh, Lucy; I'm HOME!" a shrill voice called out as Reapus shuddered.

"Ah, dammit..." In swaggered in another figure, one in golden heels and a swift cloak. His hair was shining silver and his face conformed to a mask-like entity, resembling a fish's front. At his shoulders were tough metallic decorative armor. Like Reapus, his eyes burned yellow. Waving the fan in his hand he walked over the limp form of Kalamax.

"Reappy-boy! It's been far too long!"

"I thought I threw you into the black hole back near Pluto. How the hell did you find your way back?" The effeminate general smirked as he continued,

"Tsk tsk. You amuse me, Reappy-boy. To think you could get rid of me that easily." Reapus groaned as his flamboyant friend went about the ship, inspecting it. Reapus reached for his sword, his irritation reaching new levels. Sensing the malice, he twirled backwards and held the sword back onto Reapus' back.

"Are we really going to play this game? I mean, I know I am gorgeous and all, but you're not my type." Reapus kicked him back.

"I told you I HATE that. If you want to live... leave me alone." He left for his room under the ship. Wondering aloud, he started to dance around, fully aware of his winning. Clutching his chin, he then whispered,

"Ah... so Reappy-boy's been in a battle. He would've hit me harder if he had the strength... What excellent luck! Oh, my darling Draxiussss!" On his right, a figure covered in royal blue leather-like skin materialized first. At the lining of the top, there was a trail of fur. On his head was placed a large mask that took nearly all of his upper face. His gloves and boots matched the mask in every way and color. He bowed.

"Yes, my lord?" The general wagged his finger and spoke quickly,

"No no no! What have I told you, hun? If you're going to use a formal title, refer to me as the lovely and majestic lord of all elegance and eloquence, the glamorous Shadius!" He struck a pose, as if to hammer the point home. The soldier bowed lower.

"Of course. Forgive me for the grave oversight, glamorous one." Shadius nodded in approval as he continued.

"Good. Now, onto my orders... I sense the Heart... use your Mirror of Depth and find it; it must be in my possession!" Draxius nodded and melted into the shadows, Leaving Shadius on the ship, Crescenda playing in the background. He finally paid mind to her.

"Dear... play something more upbeat to match the sexiness of my atmosphere!" Crescenda strummed twice by accident and looked up like he was insane. Shadius cooled himself with the fan, spinning around till he sat down on Reapus' seat. "IT'S SO GOOD TO BE HOME!"

Kalamax groaned, struggling to get up. Pretending he didn't notice him, Shadius placed his foot on his back and pushed down hard, the old squid's back creaking from the abuse. Crescenda gritted her teeth and muttered to herself,

"Tch... Why'd he have to come back?" Shadius began to hum a lively melody as he bobbed his head in rhythm. The tyrant in gold was having a grand time in his visit to the ship. He tapped the edges of the chair, in a circadian rhythm.

"And while I'm here... I suppose I should such destroy the rangers. Oh, yes... what an excellent idea!" Shadius thought of it, and began to contemplate other schemes...

*********************************************************************

A flashing light brought Byron's consciousness back. Staring into the intense hospital lights, he tried to figure out just what was happening. He blinked a few times, his vision clearing from its blur. When he started to feel again, he started to hear voices. Looking from side to side, he noticed the figures by him. To his right, hanging over the bed, was James, his behind seated in a chair pushed to edge of the bed. Behind him was Jun, who was staring into space, but came to focus on Byron. Tacari was by the window, her face was solemn. Clearly it was not her day. Byron picked his hand up and rubbed his head.

"Any one get the license plate of that truck?" Byron smiled, trying to make a joke of it. The trio kept their silence and glances at each other. James finally said, after a few stares from Byron.

"... You gave us a bit of a scare, buddy. In more ways than one." Byron could tell there was something they weren't telling him, but what could it possibly have been? Jun got up from his chair and nodded to Byron.

"Nice to see you awake, Byron. I'll go let Mike know." He exited the room, a look of mixed relief and dread plastered on his face. Tacari opened the window as Byron turned to face her. She didn't say anything, but her look gave the message. It seemed to say,

"I'm sorry." Of course, she'd never say the words. So, that left the two rangers alone. Byron didn't say anything, even though he had millions of questions. James looked too pained to answer them. They sat in silence for awhile, neither of them having any kind of thing to say that would lighten the mood.

From out in the hallway, a figure stood by the door way, listening to the conversation... or lack thereof. He closed his eyes and left, his footsteps tapping lightly against the floor. When he passed by the window in the lobby, the sunlight shone off his jacket, making him glow slightly gold...

*************************************************************************** *

Above the planet, meditating on her star, Celeste began to clear her mind in an effort to scan the planet's energies. She sat for quite some time, hoping to find a nugget of irregular activity, but to no avail. Opening her eyes, she stared at the planet in earnest.

"I know what I felt. If he is indeed on this planet, then even the arrival of that... scourge will affect the outcome." She was going to go back into her state when the globe to the farside of the room started to flash. She turned to see it and her eyes narrowed. Placing her hands to her temples, she began to think of her rangers, sending her voice to them.

"Rangers, there is a disturbance near the lake; Byron, James, Tacari, investigate. Jun and Hannah, I want you two to uncover the mystery of that explosion from earlier. Now, move out!" She could hear the thoughts of doubt and worry etched into their minds, but shoved them out of the way. "This is an order!" She exclaimed. Byron, through the resistence of James, got himself up and replied.

"You got it. C'mon, guys; the city needs us!" The team hesitantly agreed to this and left to their missions. Celeste smiled triumphantly, knowing that she could always count on Byron's unique purity and naivete. She settled on her crystal and continued to meditate.

*************************************************************************** ***

Smoke rose from the wall of the city, evidence of the earlier celestial body hitting it. There still was no sign of what had caused it, though. Walking along the top of the wall, Jun and Hannah surveyed the wreckage. Jun went into analysis mode, taking in every detail he could. Hannah wrote down everything as she saw it; observation, one of her key abilities.

"High-impact. Judging from the scorch marks on the wall, I'd say the object was traveling at least a few meters below the speed of light." Jun said, his rambling continuing as he moved along the wall. Hannah continued,

"There's also a line of destruction that reaches all the way to the lake. In fact... I think I can see it from here." Jun nodded as he noted it and continued. Little did they know that they were being watched by a familiar figure. He wasn't wearing his jacket, but his hair shined in the sunlight with golden grace. He observed them curiously, contemplating whether or not to go over and talk with them.

*************************************************************************** **

The serene side of the lake, void of any kind of evil activity, was enjoying a slight breeze. Though the forest was decimated on one side, there was still plenty of arbor to feed. From a small crack in the lake, a red glow formed. It shot out of it, revealing the shape of Draxius who held up a mirror of some kind, circular with a baroque design. In its center was a seeing eye. He rubbed it wondering aloud,

"Hmmm... according to this... the Heart should be..." The mirror started to formulate the shadowy image of something. Draxius was pleased he would find it so soon...

"Kiya!" Draxius turned around, his attention drawn from the mirror. From behind him appeared the figure of Byron, several feet above him, with sword drawn. Closing the gap between them, Byron slashed downwards, pushing the monster back. Draxius threw a fist to him, which he dodged with ease, swinging with his backhand and slashing the monster in mid-spin. The monster rolled across the beach, coming to a halt, kneeling before him.

"How dare you! You won't live to see the light of another day!" The tengu-like monster reached for his mirror, but noticed it was gone. Holding the mirror in his right hand, Byron held it up.

"Looking for this, big boy?" Draxius flinched, his whole body turning rigid with anger as he saw the red ranger hold it up.

"Give it here, you red-spotted eye sore!" He took a step towards the red ranger, preparing to go on the offensive.

"Byron!" called the voice of James, The creature turned to face his new opponents. Coming from the side was James, Tacari at his flank. She looked from the monster to the forest and spoke forcibly.

"You!... Did you do this to the forest?" Draxius turned to her and smiled.

"In a manner of speaking..." That was all she needed. James held his sword in front of her, showing that Byron had his own question.

"Then... what are you after? You're not attacking the city. What's Reapus' game?" Draxius wagged his finger.

"Do you honestly think I'd be stupid enough to give you such valuable information? Now... be a good boy and return that to me!" He motioned to the mirror. James, not wasting time said quickly,

"Byron, smash it!"

"SILENCE!" cried out Draxius. Not heeding his warning, Byron threw the mirror into the air, his sword slicing through it like butter. Draxius moved towards the broken mirror, then looked at Byron, the bloodlust building in those crystal blue eyes. "Argh! How am I going to pinpoint the sacred Heart now?" Tacari looked down, muttering to no one,

"...sacred Heart?" James next to her gripped his sword, ready for combat. Draxius started to laugh, little bits at a time.

"Ha...haha...hahaha... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" He poised himself for battle. "I'll just have to bring your heads on a platter as an apology to my lord! NEGATIVE TORNADO!" An outburst of gales started to swirl around the monster, catching the rangers in their mighty winds. Heaving them upwards, they flew around until the monster stopped the technique, throwing the rangers far from his location. Struggling to get themselves up, Byron spoke to James,

"We need Jun and Hannah. This guy's a cut above the others." James nodded as he began to open the communicator. Drawing his sword, Draxius charged them, preparing for close combat.

*************************************************************************** *

"Blast radius-"

"3 dm. I think that's about it, Jun. We got all the info we need." Jun was satisfied. He picked himself up and walked over to Hannah.

"Good. Now we just need to bring this to the lab, do a cross-reference in the astronomical bank of the Tower's database, and bam! We'll know exactly the type of comet this was." The pair began to leave, their friend who was watching them close behind. A short beep caught Hannah's attention.

"Oh, wait... that's James!" She picked up the line answering him. "Hannah, here."

"Hannah! You and Jun have to get over here, NOW! We're getting our behinds handed to us!" shouted out a distressed James as he and Byron tried to parry the attacks of the monster. Tacari came into the fray, stabbing the monster once before he retaliated and slashed her back, knocking her onto her knees.

"Okay! Hannah!" Jun nodded. Leading the call, both of them called out,

**"RIDE****THE NOVA!"** Instead of stepping off the comets, they rode them towards the forest, were the action was. The figure that was near them just stood by and casually observed. He began to walk down the wall's stairs, off towards the jungle.

*************************************************************************** ****

Draxius, standing above the shallowest part of a stream, called out, "NEGATIVE WILL O' WISP!" His eyes started flashing, shooting out dozens of little blue fireballs. As if honed onto them, the fireballs zipped in droves to the rangers. Batting the majority of them, the rangers suffered minor pain from them, Byron swatted a few of them away, running for Draxius head-on.

"You got guts, kid. WILL O' WISP!" Firing another round of fireballs, he shot them directly at Byron, who parried every single one of them. He raised his sword high, preparing to deliver a powerful slash.

"... N-no." Byron groaned as his vision became double. His sword faltered a fraction of a second, giving Draxius the moment he needed to escape the blow. Bowing in pain, still having a grip on his sword, Byron started to breathe heavily, trying to keep it together. Draxius pointed his sword at him.

"Ha! I sense the aura of a vicious toxin. Looks like your fate's already been sealed. Let's quicken the process!" He raised his sword and swung down, aiming to decapitate the red ranger.

"Not so fast!" Draxius stopped just before the neck as he jerked his head up, registering two swords coming at him from above. Jumping off their comets, Hannah and Jun slashed down, catching the monster off guard and throwing him backwards. Hannah retreated to Byron's side, helping him up.

"Are you okay, Byron?" Byron nodded. Jun said quickly,

"Sorry, we're late." Byron shook his head.

"It's okay. L-let's just finish this guy quick!" Hannah heard that stutter, and she began to worry. Tacari and James found their way up again as the team slid their star discs on their swords. They called out,

**"Aurora Blades! Harmony Slash!"** The team of five released their attacks at once, thinking for sure they had the creature. Draxius wasn't going down just yet. Crossing his fingers, he called out,

"NEGATIVE VORTEX!" A giant black hole appeared in front of him. The five energy attacks went flying into it, closing the portal. Before the team could process what just happened, the portal opened behind them.. and their attacks hit them dead from behind.

"AAAAAARRGGGGGHHH!" they cried as the blast knocked them forward, closer to the monster. Their uniforms were smoking, slightly singed from the attack. Draxius chuckled as he charged his sword.

"Thank you for this technique! NEGATIVE AURORA!" With a slash of his sword, another wave of the ranger's attack was shot at them, hitting and blasting them. Only this time, they were blasted backwards, their morphs becoming undone.

"Damn..." swore James, sitting up to face the monster. Tacari was saying other things in her native tongue, most of it profane.

"What're we going to do?" asked Hannah. This was the first time an enemy had trounced them this much. Jun was solemn and couldn't offer and answer. Byron, still seeing double, began to nod his head, his consciousness slipping away.

"Ahhhh... what a lovely sight. Now then, go and die like good little pests!" A brilliant flash of light blinded him for a moment. Draxius took a step back, stunned. "W-what is this trickery?" From out of the light appeared the strange figure in gold. He looked over his shoulder and smirked. The team was confused.

"Huh?"

"Who is that?"

"Like I know?"

"He's sparkly."

The mysterious man reached into his pocket and took out a sleek white phone and orange disc. Snapping the disc shut, he folded it onto the phone. He finally spoke for the first time.

"... Rangers... leave this one to me." He took the phone and performed a stroke forward, a golden light emanating from it. He shouted out,

**"SUPERNOVA, RIDE ON!"** In but an instant, he was covered in a warm and radiant light, A shooting star fell to the planet, striking him. In a flash, the energy around him burst forward, layering him in a fine glow. Over it, a ranger suit formulated, criss-crossing in a pattern of royal blue and gold. The star's core placed itself on his head, forging itself into his helmet. Stepping out of the light, he was now fully morphed.

"W-WHAT?" cried out a confused James.

"A sixth ranger?" Hannah muttered to no one.

"Celeste didn't say anything about this!" said Jun, clearly mirroring the feelings of the group. Byron didn't say anything. He was still struggling with seeing clearly. The monster was surprised, but it didn't bother him.

"Like that matters, Be there 5 or 20 of you, I will always have the upper hand. Come forth, my Grimlings!" Running from behind him arrived an army of dozens of the demonic henchmen. The figure in gold reached to his back and grabbed his sword, sheathe and all. As they attacked, he stood in place, not bothering to move. The Grimlings all charged him, their spears and swords set to pierce him into a bloody pulp. Mysteriously, however, the Grimlings began to fall one by one, small faint flashes of silver appearing before they fell backwards from the gold ranger, who seemingly wasn't moving.

"What is going on here?" demanded Draxius, seeing them getting beaten by a non-moving entity was vexing. The one in gold got up from his position and spoke slowly, so that everyone could hear him.

"I can draw and slash my sword at the speed of light. It looks like I wasn't moving, but I can assure you... I sliced through them 38 times." He said, sheathing his sword, which the others didn't even notice was drawn. Draxius wasn't happy. At all.

"You're all starting to irritate me. How about we turn the heat up a bit? NEGATIVE ENLARGE!" In a swirl of energy, the monster began to grow far beyond the trees. The one in gold turned to them and nodded, walking off.

"Wait!" called out Hannah, who was curious. "Who are you?" The figure turned his head for a moment, then said almost inaudibly,

"A friend." In a brilliant flash of golden light, he disappeared, teleporting to someplace else. Tacari bit her lip and brought their attention back to the fight.

"We can worry about him later. We have bigger problems right now." James agreed, turning to Byron.

"Yeah. Let's pluck this turkey! Byron?" Byron nodded and replied with a small amount of enthusiasm,

"Yep. Let's do it guys. **ALPHA LION!**"

**"BETA DRAGON!"******

**"GAMMA TURTLE!"******

**"DELTA BEAR!"******

**"EPSILON MONKEY!"**

"Zords Unite!" Byron shouted as he wrote the word "unite" in the air. All five zords reformed themselves and came together to form...

**"STRIDER KING MEGAZORD!"** They yelled confidently. The megazord drew its mighty sword and proceeded to waste no time in attacking the crafty monster. Draxius dodged the blade and laughed, mocking them.

"You haven't a chance! In my current form, my spells are a hundred times greater!" He drew his own sword and blocked the megazord's with ease. "Let me give you a small sample. NEGATIVE MIRAGE!" As if swallowed by the very air, the monster disappeared. The rangers looked around, trying to locate him.

"Where did he go?" cried out an exasperated James, his eyes jetting all around. Even Tacari, whose senses were a cut above the rest, couldn't pinpoint exactly where he was.

"He's probably invisible! Stay alert!" she told the rest of them. And that piece of insight would prove useful, since in the next moment, the megazord sparked on its chest, staggering backwards.

"We've been hit!" reported Hannah. Byron concentrated as best he could. He started to develop a pounding headache, but pushed it back as he said,

"Keep it together, guys! We can still win!" The monster laughed as his voice echoed around them.

"Win? Boy, you speak idealistically. Even the great Orion considered me a terrible threat thousands of years ago! Now... I am through playing with you. NEGATIVE AURORA!" Appearing behind them, he charged his sword and fired the penta-colored attack. The megazord was struck dead on with it and fell to the ground, the rangers being flung in cockpit. In another round of firing, the megazord split into the five star zords, leaving them all askew on the forest grounds. Draxius grinned madly as he marched forward, his sword raised, ready to finish them off...

TO BE CONTINUED...

=====

_The rangers are in deep trouble! Can that mysterious golden stranger help them? Just who is he? Find out next time on Power Rangers Galaxy Striders!_

=====

End of Act 9


	10. Dusk Before Dawn, Pt II

**Chapter 10 - Dusk Before Dawn, Pt. 2**

"Welcome, rangers. Allow me to play for you your swan song!" Shouted the radically large figure of Draxius. He loomed over them, his malice and dark intentions oozing from every pore of his body. He slowly approached the scattered zords, his blade glistening in the sunlight. From inside the cockpit of his own zord, Byron tried to keep it together. He clutched his head in pain as he contacted his friends.

"O-One more time, guys. Let's bring out the big guns." James responded.

"Byron, this guy hacked our zords apart! I don't think summoning any of the triad will make much difference!"

"But we have to try!" Draxius kicked the Lion zord clear into the sky where it landed many meters away. "AA...AAARGH!" Byron screamed as he held onto the console.

**"Byron!"** Cried out four different voices. James and Jun both took out discs, each one representing a member of the triad.

**"STAR SUMMON!"** Out of the spinning discs appeared the guardians of water and earth.

**"ZETA KAFER!"******

**"ETA SCHERTFISCH!"**

Controlling the beetle and swordfish, the red and green rangers sent the fresh zords in against the monster. Kafer spun its claw-like head around trying to trip him, but Draxius wasn't fazed. He took a quick stab at the ground and grabbed the beetle by its neck. Using massive force, he flung the mechanical insect to the side, making it dive into dozens of trees. James took careful aim and yelled...

**"ETA MISSILES... FIRE!"** The two short missiles on the side of the swordfish fired instantly, their sights set on the monster. Draxius eyed the projectiles speeding towards him and laughed.

"Have you learned nothing? **NEGATIVE VORTEX!**" The same ominous black hole appeared, sucking up the missiles into its void. James started to steer the zord to safety; he knew what was coming thanks to his last encounter, but he wasn't fast enough to avoid it.

**"FIRE!"** Behind Schertfisch, the missiles emerged from the hole, slamming into the zord with great force. Letting out a shrill cry, the zord fell to the ground and laid on its side like the catch of the day.

Byron composed himself enough to see Kafer and Schertfisch fall at the hands of this new and powerful foe.

"One chance left... **STAR SUMMON!**" Byron placed the white disc onto his sword hilt and spun it around. Arising from it, the tiger let out a mighty roar as it charged the monster, its drill claws spinning with ferocity. In a shocking turn of events, Draxius stopped the zord with a swift slash of his blade, knocking the tiger of its wheel. Picking it up by the scruff of its neck like a kitten, he smirked.

"You see? Nothing can stop me when I get serious. You all should have never meddled with me in the first place!" He flung the tiger onto the ground before stepping on it. Letting out a cry of pain, the tiger tried to escape from its captor's hold. "How's about we get rid of the kitty-cat first? I always wanted to skin a cat." He flipped his sword in his hand, raising it high, preparing to slaughter the poor mecha-beast spirit. Tacari struggled with all her might until her zord flew into the air. Gaining her second wind, she called out,

**"J u'nod lniht ps!"** Coming in at breakneck speeds, she made her zord spin like mad. **"NAR TIH TSA!"** The force of the turtle's spin created a tornado around it as it made contact with Draxius. The monster started to struggle a bit.

"Interesting. You still wish to fight despite this hopeless situation? **NEGATIVE TORNADO!**" In a reverse direction, the tengu-monster unleashed a mighty twister from his body, knocking Tacari off of him. The spinning turtle was sent drilling into the ground, lost in a large mound of dirt. Hannah watched helplessly from inside her own zord which was on its back. Draxius patted his mask, feigning a yawn as if he was bored.

"Really. Is this the best the rangers of your time can do? The rangers of old were at least a challenge!" The zords tried to pick themselves up, but to no avail. Byron, hand shaking, wrote the symbol for "unite" in the air. He called out somewhat strained,

**"ZORDS... UNITE!"** The zords tried to move, but they were barely functional. The symbol shattered in front of the red ranger, blasting him to the back of the zord.

"Erghh...!" He picked himself up again, once again writing it in the air. **"ZORDS... UNITE!"** Again, nothing happened. The symbol shattered again, blasting him back a second time. Not being the type to give up, he struggled to pick himself up and walked to the console. James leaned over his own and shouted out,

**"Byron, what the hell are you doing?"** Hannah cried out,

**"Don't do this! You'll die!"** Jun and Tacari both shouted after him,

**"Byron!"**

"Don't be a righteous moron!"

Byron smiled weakly. "Sorry, guys! But if we don't protect this planet... no one will. My life doesn't matter compared to that." He started to write the symbol, yet again, using his other arm to steady himself.

"Zords..." The other four rangers shouted out in horror and emotion,

**"Dammit, Byron!"**

**"STOP!"**

"... UNI-" Before he could finish, he dropped the morpher and slumped over the console, his consciousness draining from him. The symbol dissipated without a trace and Draxius began to laugh maniacally.

"Hahaha! Pathetic fool! Your fate was sealed long before you met me! So, to commemorate my victory, why don't we destroy everything you care for?" He turned to the blue dragon first. James gritted his teeth and pushed the sword forward. Instantly, the dragon began to breathe azure flames, sending a stream of the navy inferno towards the towering menace, but Draxius was no fool.

**"NEGATIVE WILL O' WISP!"** From his glowing blue eyes, he sent a barrage of hauntingly dark blue flames towards the dragon. The two streams of fire met in a burst of activity, their flames dancing with each other in a cackling waltz. After a few minutes, Draxius' strong flames burst through the dragon's weakened ones, burning the dragon's outer coating. James began to sweat profusely as the heat increased.

"Mmmm... Southern fried dragon! My favorite!" He continued unleashing the small fireballs unto the dragon, causing the flames to engulf it. James started to suffocate from all the smoke.

"D-damn..." He passed out at the console as Tacari banged at the turtle's inner systems in frustration.

**"Fly! Come on! JAMES!"** She looked on in horror as the flames left the dragon completely brown and covered in burn marks. Draxius found all of this quite amusing.

"I'd be touched, my dear... if I had a heart." He took a leisurely stroll to the remaining three rangers. As if to make an impression, he walked straight to Hannah in the upside-down monkey zord. Jun started to shout out,

**"Get the hell away from her!"** He pushed forward, sending the bear zord charging. Draxius barely paid him any mind and kicked the bear away, sending it flying through the air like a football.

**"Jun!"** Called out Hannah. The bear landed hard into the ground, flinging Jun to the back of the zord causing him to knock his head against the solid gold wall. Falling forward, he passed out unconscious as Draxius raised his sword.

"Now, my dear... it's time for you to join your friends!" He jerked the sword down, sending it plunging towards the monkey zord's head. Hannah shut her eyes in anticipation of a swift end, but...

**CRASH**

When Hannah opened her eyes and looked up, she realized she was still alive. The blade of the monster had indeed pierced a zord... but it was the turtle that was blocking it. The sword made a giant crack on the turtle's back. Hannah stared horrified at the picture, then screamed,

**"TACARI!"** The pink ranger, who barely missed getting sliced by the giant sword, was slumped over the console, her helmet cracked in certain places. She struggled to balance herself despite the blood rushing to her head. She spoke to Hannah, her voice hesitantly off.

"L...Listen. You've got to escape. If he gets us all... we're done for." With that she let the pain overtake her, letting her mind drift free. Hannah was shocked and scared; she didn't know what to do.

"I'm the only one left..." She looked from the triad to the fallen lion, to the burnt dragon, to the smashed bear, to the cracked turtle, then back to the monster. Feeling a sense of annoyance, he slid the turtle off his sword and flung it to the side, let it smash into the jungle. He then raised his sword again.

"Shall we continue without those rude interruptions?" He smirked as he raised his sword high, this time poised to finish the last ranger off. Hannah screamed out as the blade came down, but...

**CLANG**

Draxius narrowed his eyes as he glanced down at what stopped his sword. Catching it in what seemed to be golden claws, was a giant shining lobster of some kind. It was rather massive, much bigger than most, if not all, of the other zords. Draxius was getting impatient.

"And who are you?" He asked as a voice let out a chuckle.

"I'm..." The lobster snapped the blade in half, causing the monster to back off. The robotic crustacean stood protectively in front of Hannah and her zord. "... your worst nightmare." The voice finished. Hannah recognized it almost immediately.

"... Gold?" The voice then called out, with gusto,

**"OMNIZORD TRANSFORM!"** The lobster kicked forward with its tail, flying into the air. The tip of the tail broke off, letting the rest of the tail to separate into two legs. The tip of the tail settled itself on the back side of the zord while the head split in half and also stuck itself to the back. From inside the cockpit, the gold ranger spun the roulette inside, calling out,

**"STAR SUMMON!"** From out of the disc resting on his sword hilt, flew a completely white squid-like creature with lines of purple accenting it. The gold figure called out,

**"IOTA KRAKEN!"** The squid zord then separated into its base and its headpiece, turning it into a long-range spear. The base attached itself onto the chest of the new zord while the headpiece was brandished as a weapon.

**"HELIOS GRAPPLER OMNIZORD, STORM MODE!"** The zord's face rotated four times until it hit the last section. Focusing on the monster, the gold ranger shook out his hands and said quickly,

"Time to loosen the rust on this baby. **LIGHTNING LASER!**" The zord aimed the head of the squid at Draxius. Like a piston, the head motioned back and forth creating friction and sparks. Once it gathered enough energy, the beam of lightning shot out of the head, striking the monster faster than it could react.

"YEARGH! You will pay for this!" Gold smirked under his helmet.

"Yeah... I don't think so. **IOTA SPEAR! THUNDER TURBULENCE!**" All of the remaining energy in the squid condensed, turning it bright white. Slashing diagonally, gold hit the creature with ease. Howling in pain it cried out,

**"NOOOOOOOO! NEGATIV-e clo-n..."** Draxius exploded in a swirl of lightning. Hannah just stood there, transfixed at the sight of her savior. Gold clapped his hands in a brushing motion and said happily,

"Looks like that's that... now... let's deal with the others." The giant zord laid the spear down and reached its hands out in front of it. Concentrating, he sent a jolt of his energy into an orb. As it filled, it inflated like a balloon. Once it was ready, he let it loose among the rangers where it burst letting golden light rain over them. The fallen zords began to glow one by one, the damage done to them instantly healing. Slowly, the other rangers began to regain consciousness.

"Wh-What happened?" Questioned Jun who was rubbing his head, although the pain was subsiding.

"Wait a sec... where's the monster!" Shouted James, still jumping to action mode. The one in gold shook his head.

"Oh... he's gone." James gawked at him.

"**WHAT!** All 8 of our zords couldn't beat him and yet you miraculously show up at the last possible minute to kill him?" Gold shrugged.

"Yeah, it's like a tradition." James was about to inquire about this further, but was interrupted by Tacari.

"Okay, now that he's gone... who the hell are you? You can move at the speed of light and obviously have insanely strong powers. What are you here for? Did Celeste send for you?" The one in gold nodded.

"I'll be glad to answer all your questions. Perhaps we should go back to the Tower and I'll explain everything there." Satisfied with his suggestion, the rangers called off their zords and the newly formed team of six teleported back to River End, hoping to get more answers.

**************************************************

Meanwhile, in the bowels of Mari Lake, nothing was quite serene anymore. Kalamax was moaning in pain, his back still hurting from being used as a footstool. Shadius sat solemnly on the throne, his eyes narrowed.

"My lovely shadow was defeated by a bunch of costumed, and fashionably challenged, misfits! And before he could even search for the Heart, no less!" He began to mull over these events in his mind when he heard a splash. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the limp and heavily damaged form of Draxius. He reached out to him and choked out,

"Glamorous master... please give me another chance..." Shadius looked at the poor fool, taking in his image. He smiled, speaking in a void voice,

"My dear Draxius... you don't seem to understand the gravity of this problem. You were beaten by that insipid 24-karat rapscallion! Now... disappear from my sight!" He pointed his fan at Draxius, opening a black hole under him. The monster fell into it, drowning within the darkness. Shadius closed it and sighed.

"It really is hard to find good help these days. Let's try something different. Oh, Sezius!" From his side, another shadow emerged from the floor. Wearing silver coatings and what appeared to be red leather, the monster kneeled before its master.

"How may I serve you, glamorous one?" Shadius pondered for a moment and then answered.

"I'm extremely petty; go destroy the Power Rangers. Especially golden boy. He's been a thorn in my side for far too long." The monster nodded.

"Very well, sir; it shall be done." The new monster slid off the ship, going to accomplish its mission.

"Lovely."

*******************************************************

Thankfully, by the time all of this was happening, the extremely fast people at the Tower managed to smooth over all of the ridiculous controversy theories that stemmed from the earlier explosion. Mike slumped into a chair and sighed.

"Geez... give me a monster attack any day over something like this." In front of him, six beams of light appeared. Good fortune smiled on them since the room was empty, save for Mike. Out of the light, the six rangers appeared. The core team of five removed their helmets leaving the one in gold who opted to keep his air of mystery a while longer. Mike was surprised with this turn of events as well.

"When did you guys get a sixth?" Byron, feeling much better than usual these days, shrugged with a scrunched mouth.

"Kinda... sorta... five seconds ago?" Hannah watched the movements of the gold ranger with interest.

"He was sort of like a knight in shining armor." Jun looked at her, then back at him. It was clear this wasn't going to end well. The one in gold finally said,

"I'm no knight, but I did come to help you guys out. The Styxerians just got an old veteran back and you'll need the extra manpower." James shook his head.

"Instead of avoiding the subject, can you please tell us your name so we know who we're addressing?" Gold tilted his head.

"You don't get the concept of 'dramatic tension', do you?" James' eyebrow twitched. Score one more for the "don't like" meter. Tacari smirked at James' clear irritation, but then she had her own question.

"According to Hannah, you saved us in your own zords. Why didn't you use them at the start when we needed you instead of waiting for us to be flung around like rag dolls?" The golden one started to rub his head.

"Um... I sort of forgot where I put the discs for them until that moment." The room was silent for a moment until everyone started laughing either in humor or because of the sheer stupidity of it.

"Y-ou...hahaha... can't be serious!" Managed out Jun between laughs.

"That's the most air-headed thing I've ever heard someone do! And I have **this** guy as a roommate!" James said, pointing to Byron. Byron stopped laughing for a minute and acted, very badly mind you, indignant.

"HEY! Cut us some slack. So we forget some things sometimes. It's not like he makes a habit of it, right uh..."

"Helix. Name's Helix."

"Helix, huh? Cool name." Helix appreciated Byron taking his side on this. With the humor aside, he then said seriously,

"Well, now that introductions are over, I think it's about time for me to really tell you more about what we are facing." Jun shook his head.

"I'm pretty sure Celeste told us all about it." Gold touched his helmet on the side, making it disappear, revealing his face. He said softly,

"Did Celeste mention anything about what exactly happened those thousands of years ago?" The team shook their heads before Tacari answered.

"She only really wanted us to concentrate on fighting them in the present. Sure, she gave us a brief history lesson... why?"

"Because she must have left out a few details. Did you ever wonder what happened to the previous rangers? Or Orion for that matter?" The others looked at each other, then back to Helix.

"What are you getting at?" Questioned James.

"Aren't they... you know... dead?" Asked Hannah. Helix shook his head.

"If they were truly dead, then your powers wouldn't exist right now. Those powers of yours are all bonded to the spirits of the ancient rangers. You must have seen them when taking the powers the first time. I draw my power from Orion. Same thing. I don't know where, but my ancestor is alive... somewhere."

"Hold the phone! You're a descendent of Orion?" James shouted.

"Indeed, I am. Is there a problem?" After struggling to find the right words, James spoke again.

"How old are you? Orion's been around for thousands of years!" Helix smiled a bit.

"Oh, I'm no older than any of you. After all, I am human. We tend to not have long life spans." Helix paused then continued. "But, yes, the Styxerians plagued Miranoi over a millennia ago; many more if I recall correctly. But the real truth was that they were divided into two factions. The one that served Reapus..."

"Which we've been fighting for most of the time." Commented Tacari as Helix nodded.

"...And the one under Shadius. He's just as powerful as Reapus, although not as focused in destroying the world as his companion. He's looking for something called the "Heart". He's convinced it holds untold amounts of power. I haven't been able to find any kind of information on it, so I don't know anything about it." Tacari spoke up in the middle of this, saying solemnly,

"Among my people, there is the legend of the 'Uraeh go Jonarim'. Loosely translated, that means 'Heart of Miranoi'. It's said that whomever has the Heart will have enough power to surpass the mortal plane. You'd be god-like." What she didn't add was that the power came at a tremendous price. Helix pondered this for a moment.

"Well, that explains his fascination with it. Looks like we have to find it before he does." He smiled and held out his hand. "It'll be nice to work with all of you." He got a few skeptical looks from Jun, who noticed Hannah hadn't remembered to blink when staring at this newcomer and James, just for his personality. Byron grinned and took his hand.

"You got it, Helix! Got a place to stay? We have room in our apartment. Right, James?" James shook his head.

"I don't know you anymore." Byron then did the most forbidden thing that anyone could ever do. He looked right into James' face and...

"Look away!" Warned Jun, who had covered his eyes.

"It's the unstoppable..." Hannah continued.

"...merciless..." Said Tacari softly.

**"PUPPY FACE!"** Cried out James as he looked into his partner's eyes. The overwhelming cuteness of his batting eyes and quivering bottom lip would be enough to put anyone out with relative ease. James struggled with it for several moments until he caved in.

"ALL RIGHT! Jeez... you promised never to do that again." Byron smiled.

"You thought I was serious?" James shook his head.

"You know what... I wash my hands of this whole thing. Let blonde boy stay with us for all I care. But if he touches any of my stuff, I'm going to feed him to my dragon!" Helix just looked at the blue ranger with a raised eyebrow.

"You know I'm standing right here, right?"

"Like that matters?" A beeping sound alerted the rangers, and Mike towards the screen. Celeste was once again on it.

"Rangers, once again, there is a disturbance... who is this?" She inquired, pointing towards who they assumed was Helix. Byron patted his back as he said,

"This guy? He's our new team member! Isn't that awesome?"

"I never heard of gold ranger powers!"

"Well, there are a lot of things you conveniently don't know. Do you, Celeste?" Asked Helix, his face becoming serious. Celeste did a double take. For a brief second he looked like...

"A-ahem. Very well. There are two disturbances-one in the construction loft and another in the jungle on the eastern side of the city. Be careful, rangers. That is all." She disappeared from the monitor rather quickly and James noted this.

"So, how are we going to divide things?" Helix gripped Byron's shoulder and looked towards the others.

"Byron and I will handle the small attack in the loft; you guys head to the jungle. Tacari knows the way, I assume?"

"I find it insulting that you even need to ask." Spat Tacari as she lead the four of them away. Byron looked at Helix and felt something inside him stir. It's as if something about him reminded him of something... but what? Helix touched his belt, which Byron did as well.

"BACK TO ACTION!" The two rangers teleported away. Towards the loft.

******************************************************

At the loft in question, a small group of Grimlings created havoc for the construction workers, smashing equipment and destroying supplies. Commanding them was the silvery figure of Sezius. His voice was melodic as he said,

"Yes, my Grimlings! Destroy it all! Let the rangers come at your beck and call!" Flashing towards them, two streaks of light, one of them red and one of them gold, appeared. Striking poses, the two rangers exited the flashes and said together,

**"FIERY AS THE PLANET'S CORE! GALAXY STRIDER RED!"** Called out Byron.

**"FASTER THAN LIGHTNING ITSELF! GALAXY STRIDER GOLD!"** Said Helix audibly.

**"We protect this planet with the power of the stars! POWER RANGERS: GALAXY STRIDERS!"** The twosome shouted as they struck their heroic pose.

Sezius chuckled. "How quaint; how dull; how very lacking. Go, my minions, time to start attacking!" Byron scratched his head.

"Does this guy always rhyme?" Helix responded.

"I think he does it all the time."

"Wait, now we're doing it, too?"

'Don't ask me; I don't have clue."

Sezius laughed. "Indeed, my rangers; you're caught in my gale. Whomever is thus must rhyme all their tales!"

The Grimlings started to attack. Going into his super speed, Helix disappeared in a flash driving through the Grimlings with dozens of flashes of silver and gold dancing around them as he drew his sword and sheathed it again and again, spinning around and then giving his sheathe one final closing. The Grimlings behind him exploded from the sheer speed of the attack.

**"Star Disc ALPHA, NOVA BIHANDER!"** Cried out Byron as he wielded his massive broadsword. He spun around using the blade as a weight. He crushed the surrounding Grimlings, making them catch fire as they came in contact with his weapon. Helix nodded in approval.

"Awesome! Now let's get rid of this guy before the rhymes get blander!" The monster in question stood before them, his minions gone.

"Two young rangers, brash and bold. The first ones to die are red and gold! DANCING BLADES!" He concentrated on the sharp and jagged edges that were placed on him. Detaching them from his body, they spun round and round, shooting off towards the duo. Thinking quickly, Byron held up his Bihander, blocking most of the hits. The last few however, grouped together and blasted the two rangers backwards.

Byron then had another idea. "Helix, let's team up and stop this rhyming." Helix nodded.

"Yeah, let's go or we'll loss our timing." The two rangers rushed in, attacking from opposite sides. But the monster was ready for them. From his skin, he separated two giant swords. He parried their attacks, his movements faster than normal. The two rangers fought and slashed at him in sync, both sides evenly matched. The monster raised his blades and slashed down. Catching them, the rangers blocked the attack and pushed him back. While he was defenseless, the young rangers slashed his chest, creating a burn mark across it.

Rubbing his chest, he looked at them both with evil eyes. "You awful curs; what a dreadful sight. But you are deluded if you think you've won the fight! STRIKING BLADES!" Instead of spinning swords, the blades on his skin directly shot out from him, targeting the ranger's vital points. Being ready, Byron started off by slashing the blades with force, making them shatter. Using his super speed, Helix covered him, slashing and shattering the ones that Byron missed. They got closer and closer to the monster as they made their steady progress through the neverending technique. Finally, when they reached him, they slashed down creating a parallel set of lines down his chest. Byron opened his belt and slid his disc onto his sword. Helix did the same.

"Roses are red, violets are blue..." Byron finished it off,

"Your rhyming sucks and so do you!" The gold ranger jumped high, drawing his sword and calling out,

**"SOLAR SLASH WAVE!"**

**"AURORA BLADE!"**

The rangers fired off their attacks. The golden slashes of energy penetrated the monster twice. Three times... ten times... fifteen times. The final attack, which was Byron's, slammed into the weakened monster and made it explode into nothingness. Helix pumped his sword into the air.

"Awesome! Now we can stop that crazy rhyming. It was getting kind of crass." Behind them, the others strode up, finished with their business on the other side of the jungle.

"You guys okay?" Asked James. Byron nodded and grinned.

"Yeah. This guy over here is one hell of a partner." Helix was secretly blushing, but didn't show it because of his helmet. Behind them, however, flames burst out and swirled as Sezius was revived.

"The two of you will rot in hell! Do you hear that? It's the second round bell!" Byron looked at the others and nodded.

**"ALPHA LION!"******

**"BETA DRAGON!"******

**"GAMMA TURTLE!"******

**"DELTA BEAR!"******

**"EPSILON MONKEY!"**

"ZORDS UNITE!" Byron shouted as he wrote the word "unite" in the air. All five zords reformed themselves and came together to form...

"STRIDER KING MEGAZORD!" The mighty megazord drew its sword and shield and charged. The monster also charged, slashing the sword and shield away with his own. With quick reflexes, he also slashed the megazord with ease, slicing it over and over again, then calling out,

"Your blood will flow down, dripping from my lovely sword! You all shall die now! STRIKING BLADES!" The monster's blades shot from his body and struck the megazord without remorse. The rangers held onto whatever they could. Byron managed to yell out,

"That's a haiku!" James nodded.

"That doesn't rhyme!" Sezius roared in anger.

"**SHUT UP!** Just because I'm a master of rhyme doesn't mean I have to rhyme all the time! I run out of things to say sooner or later like the next guy!" The monster continued to wail on them, slashing the megazord over and over. Helix, who was watching from the sidelines, teleported himself into the cockpit.

"Helix?" Byron, as well as everyone else, was curious. Helix turned to each of them.

"Look, my zords need to recharge after that stunt I pulled earlier with restoring your zords. So instead, we have to make do with what we got." The lapse in rhyme most likely was because of Sezius not being able to think of one. Helix gathered all three of the triad's discs and placed them onto his sword.

**"TRIFECTA STAR SUMMON! ZORDS UNITE!"** Without spinning them, all three of the zords came flying out of their discs. Done with them, he handed them back to their owners. The swordfish and beetle attached themselves instantly to the tiger. The beetle's horn attached to the tiger's neck with the tiger's face applying itself to the rear.

**"PSI TRIAD KING EXECUTION!"** The massive bird-like zord gave a shrill cry and fired a strong laser from the ring on its head that it inherited from the tiger zord. Sezius was knocked down plenty of times from this alone.

"Wow!" Shouted an awestruck Byron.

"We never knew about that." Muttered James, clearly not happy about being shown up. Helix smiled.

"Oh, but there's more. What do you think is next?" Tacari's eyes widened.

"All 8 at once?" Helix nodded. Hannah wondered aloud,

"But can it be done? No one's ever done that before!" Helix shook his head.

"I have faith. Now, Byron, it's up to you." Byron nodded. In the air he wrote a new symbol.

**"ZORDS UNITE, FORM 2!"** The giant bird flew to the back of the megazord. The tiger head on the back flew off and reapplied itself to the megazord, turning into its new helmet. The two drills on the side attached to the sides of the megazord's waist and the rest of the bird's body latching onto the megazord's back, giving it wings. When finished, the team of six called out,

**"TRINITY STRIDER MEGAZORD!"** The monster wasn't impressed. He rushed the new megazord configuration, raising his blades high. In response, the megazord took to the skies. Sezius, when he looked up and saw his opponent, shouted out,

"Hey, that isn't the least bit fair! How can I fight you if you're in the air?" The megazord circled around his head and rose up to the sky. It pushed its sword in the air. The rangers inside, save for Helix, took out their swords and spun them, calling out,

**"STELLAR SABER! TRINITY TEMPEST!"** The three giant gears on its back started to spin ferociously sending streams of energy into the blade. Diving down like a meteor, the megazord gripped its sword and began to slash down. The rangers did the same, slashing down with their own swords, calling out a collective,

**"HA!"** The sword, powered by all 8 zords sliced through Sezius like a hot knife through butter. The monster stuttered, as if to say something, but fell down and exploded; the deed done. The megazord sheathed its sword signalling that the side of justice was victorious.

****************************************************

Meanwhile, back at the ship, Shadius was having the most horrible time. He began to shout through the hull of the ship.

"Not one, but TWO? How the hell do two of my strongest warriors lose back to back against such cretins? HOW, I ASK YOU?" Crescenda didn't pretend she didn't enjoy his dilemma. Kalamax was in the corner, rubbing his poor back and shooting Shadius dirty looks. He clenched his fists and shook them in the air.

"I will defeat those brats and find the Heart... then, they shall face my EFFEMINATE FURY!" He slumped down into a chair and poured himself a drink. "Ah... Mr. Jack Daniels. You make things much more appealing... hmm... yes."

*****************************************************

Back in River End, the rangers, now with their newest member in tow, were atop the city wall enjoying the view. Byron grinned as he said,

"I am beat! Thank God that's done. Now who wants to frolic and have some fun?" Helix face-palmed and replied solemnly,

"... dude." Byron clasped a hand over his mouth and muffled out,

"Oh, crap; it's spreading!" Tacari shrugged.

"Now you know why I stay in the jungle." James decided to change the subject.

"Hey, at least we killed that thing. I think that's a plus at least." Jun shivered and rubbed his arms.

"I'm never opening another Dr. Seuss book as long as I live." Hannah glanced down at the floor and said softly,

"Lucky you."

"Why?"

"It's my job to read it to the kids."

"Ouch." Becoming increasingly bored with this conversation, and with the current threat subsided, Tacari spoke quickly,

"Now that this threat is over, I'm leaving. Bye." Hopping off the wall, she plunged into the dark jungle brush, running through it to make it to her own home. Helix folded his arms and wondered aloud,

" Does she do that often?" Without missing a beat, all four of them answered at the same time,

"Yup."

"She...doesn't like anything modern." Hannah tried to explain.

"Understandable. But she does come when called right?" He didn't doubt the pink ranger, but he was being cautious.

"'Come when called'? She's not a dog." The green ranger replied, a bit insulted for his pink teammate. "But, yeah, she's one of our best fighters. She just only fights for the planet." Added Jun.

"The people... not so much." Finished James. Helix thought about this for a moment. Byron, in her defense, then said,

"I'd like to think she likes US at least... especially James." That playful jab made the blue ranger blush madly and he shouted,

"Shut it, Byron! How many times are you going to rehash that joke?" As if to answer his prayers, a not-so-stray coconut came flying at record speeds towards them. Putting most pitchers in the Baseball Hall of Fame to shame, the coconut hit Byron on the side of the head.

"YEOUCH!" He looked towards the jungle and, even though he couldn't see her, he felt her animosity from where he was standing. He started to sweat a little. Helix thought it was funny from where he stood.

"She's got good aim at least." Hannah giggled and added to it,

"Good hearing, too."

Recalling their last encounter with an enraged Tacari, Jun shook his head. "Byron... you really are a glutton for punishment." Byron smiled goofily.

"Was it that obvious?" From out in the jungle, a very loud yell reached their ears.

"YES!" Byron rubbed his head, the coconut's mark still throbbing. Helix chuckled a bit and finally said,

"Okay. It's official. You are the most interesting people I've met in... forever." Byron wrapped his arm around Helix and replied.

"Good. If you thought we were normal, then something's seriously wrong with you."

"Ehehehe... duly noted." James spoke up next, his voice clearly amused.

"What a group we are. An incurable optimist, a bookworm, a teacher-to-be, a bad boy, a guy who moves faster than light and a chick who could give Tarzan pointers." Byron counted them off on his fingers and then said, clearly confused,

"Umm... who's the bad boy?" Shooting Byron an indignant look, James said confidently,

"Duh...me!" Hannah tilted her head as she said,

"You don't seem like such a bad boy."

"Seconded." Jun added raising his hand.

"Thirded" Byron chimed. James threw his hands in the air, clearly exasperated.

"Oh, come on! I'm SO the toughest one here!" Because karma loves to prove him wrong, the two little ones, who kept Tacari company, climbed up the wall and found their way to James. Hopping onto his shoulders, they snuggled up against him... and it was very cute.

"NEITHER of you are helping." The little animals didn't bother listening to his resistance. They cuddled and purred, rubbing against his neck. Helix stifled a laugh and said,

"Correction, You are the soft one." Hannah's face lit up like a kid's on Christmas morning when she got a look at the two fluffy chibis that were invading James' space.

"Awww! They're so kawaii!" She went to pet the fox. It looked at Hannah curiously, as if to say "More humans?" After some hesitation, the fox let the yellow ranger scratch its ears. The fox kit yipped happily when a distant call made the baby animals' ears perk up. Jumping down from their comfy position, they looked at the group one last time before disappearing into the jungle brush. James looked down and then said quietly,

"Huh... I guess Tacari called them home." Hannah was a little crestfallen, but maybe if she asked Tacari...who knows? Byron smiled and walked down in front of the group.

"Hey, guys, since we have time we should totally celebrate!" James agreed without much difficulty.

"Heh, after all this drama, I'm looking forward to something good." Hannah and Jun looked from them to each other and said,

"Sorry, guys. My shift at the Tower begins in about ten minutes. I may be a ranger, but I don't think the Commander would appreciate it if I play hooky." Hannah bowed a tiny bit.

"And I have a dozen papers to grade. With all these attacks, work's been piling up." Byron's jaw dropped.

"Fine! It'll be us three roomies! Right, guys?" Helix smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, sure. Why not?" Byron grabbed their arms and ran towards the stairs to the city.

"This is going to be the best guy's night out e-ve-r..." Byron started seeing double again, but this time, instead of passing out gracefully, he clutched his chest and began screaming. James and Helix tried to hold him.

"Byron? What's the matter? BYRON!" Byron's body was ablaze with pain. Every fiber of his being was writhing in agony. Every minute that he spent in pain felt like an eternity until everything was quiet. James picked up his friend's hand at he wrist and felt for a minute. His eyes snapped open and he turned to Helix.

"His pulse is slowing! Get an ambulance!" Helix nodded and pulled out his phone, dialing the hospital.

************

End of Act 10

************

_The clock is still ticking, and with the dawn of the seventh day upon them, the Galaxy Strider team has to race against time and find a way to cure Byron! Will they do it? Tune in next week, and find out!_

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	11. Alpha to Omega, Pt I

**Chapter 11: Alpha to Omega-Part 1**

A week-that's how long it had been since Plaguture blanketed all of Miranoi with his toxic mist. That's how long the black mist he implanted in the red ranger wreaked havoc causing his body to slowly deteriorate. During the past seven days, everyone noticed the young man's decline in health and the symptoms were easy to spot. Byron, who was known as an endless bundle of optimistic energy, succumbed easily to bouts of fatigue. The youthful ranger was now barely able to stand under his own power for more than a few minutes at a time. On more than one occasion, someone had to catch Byron to keep him from hitting the ground when he passed out. Now, Mike and the other rangers were in the waiting room of the Command Tower's infirmary after Byron's heart attack. Jun sat with Hannah and had his arm around her, consoling her as much as he could. Helix was pacing back and forth like a madman. Tacari sat on the window sill as she usually did, still refusing to enter the building. She and the other all thought the same thing-and none of them like the notion creeping into their minds. The one who seemed to be taking this the hardest was James who sat in the hard plastic seat with his eyes closed. He couldn't get the last few moments out of his mind, hard as he tried.

=====

_It's funny how whenever something happens to turn the tide in the favor of good, evil comes up and smacks you with a dose of harsh reality. Ever since the rangers defeated Plaguture, things looked up for them until they discovered the black mist lodged in Byron's chest. Even now, the appearance and addition of Helix was marred by the red ranger's sudden heart attack. The paramedics arrived in quick fashion and hoisted Byron onto a gurney before loading it in the back of the ambulance._

"We can permit one of you to ride back to the infirmary with him." The EMT replied looking at the blue and gold rangers.

"You go." Helix offered. "I'll let the others know and meet you there."

"Thanks." James said as he got into the back of the ambulance. When he saw Byron laid out with an oxygen mask over his face, it was all he could do to keep his composure. It seems that the upbeat young man grew on him more than he realized. "You just hang on; you hear me!" James whispered to his friend. Byron managed to open his eyes and, despite the excruciating pain he was experiencing, he flashed his roommate a small grin.

"I'm-I'm not going anywhere, man." Byron reassured as he felt James put his hand on his shoulder. "Without me, you wouldn't be able to make rent." He joked.

James ruffled his friend's hair and chuckled; inside, he was still deeply worried about Byron's condition.

=====

James was brought out of his pensive state by the sound of the doctor's footsteps coming towards the group.

"Are you all here to see Byron?" Dr. Aleth asked.

"Yeah, how-how is he?" James asked nervously. He wanted to know, but at the same time, he was afraid of the answer to his question. Dr. Aleth was about to answer when the sound of wheels interrupted him. Everyone turned to see Byron being wheeled into his room by a nurse. He looked pale and his face was sullen. His bright eyes were now dull and listless. He literally looked like death warmed over. The vision of a sickly red ranger and the grim expression on the doctor's face told the five rangers all they needed to know. A feeling of dread washed over them all and it was further cemented when Dr. Aleth finally spoke.

"You all should concentrate on keeping Byron comfortable until…" He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.

Hannah's hand covered her mouth as she choked back a sob. In a flash, Jun allowed her to hold onto him for support.

"No… Byron." She whispered, tears falling down her pale cheeks. Tacari was stoned faced when she heard the news, but her heart felt sorrow all the same. She was never one to wear her heart on her sleeve and she wasn't going to start now. Helix hung his head while James' fists balled so tightly, his knuckled went white. Everyone's worst fear was coming true-Byron…was dying.

************

Meanwhile, the tone on Reapus' ship was that of celebration. The crimson lord drank from his signature red bowl as Kalamax fawned over him. Crescenda played her unerring melody on her shamisen while Shadius fanned himself. Sitting atop the throne he had to poke a bit of fun at the multi-eyed sadist.

"Reappy-boy! You're looking chipper this evening. Why is that? You lost weight; I see that new diet's working for you."

"I'm in no mood for your sarcasm, Shadius." Reapus growled. He hated seeing Shadius sitting on his throne and wanted nothing more to get rid of him. "If you must know, my ultimate plan to dispose of the rangers is coming to fruition. One week ago, I sent Plaguture to infect the red ranger with a poison so toxic, even the Guardian of the Water couldn't heal him. Now, he's hours away from meeting his maker."

"A magnificent plan it is, my Lord." Kalamax fawned. "Once he falls, the others are sure to follow."

"And there will be nothing to stand in my way of conquering this galaxy!" The crimson demon laughed evilly.

Shadius, however, wasn't convinced. He knew that fate had a way of stepping and throwing a monkey wrench into the most thought out plans.

"I'd curb that enthusiasm, if I were you, Reappy-boy." He warned as he fanned himself. "You're tooting your own horn a bit too quickly, don't you think? What if a cure is found and the red ranger is healed?"

"Impossible!" Reapus said waving off his uninvited guest. "There is only one way to purge the poison from the red ranger's body and that is by someone who has power equal to mine since it was my power that forged the toxin. And such individuals are rare."

"You'd do well to listen to him, Shadius." Crescenda added as she stopped playing for a moment. "There was only one who could even hope to match the Lord's power…and he's no more."

"I wouldn't stick a fork in him just yet, Crissy." Shadius warned giving Crescenda a silly nickname. "Even rare things pop up when you least expect them. Just last month, I found a pair of adamantium Tangarian coils at a swap meet for 25 credits. At a SWAP MEET! Do you know how rare and valuable ADAMANTIUM coils are?" Reapus just shoved the annoying Shadius away from him and glared.

"It matters not. The fact remains that the red ranger is finished and soon… the others will fall."

"Fine! But I'm reserving my 'I told you, so' for when this plan backfires!" Shadius shot back as he unfolded his fan. He turned to the melodic general and spoke. "Now, Crissy. When are you going to play something more…bouncy?"

Crescenda abruptly stopped playing when he used his nickname for her.

"Why, you insolent…"

"Crescenda, don't waste your time. I have something more important for you to do." Reapus interrupted. "I'm feeling generous. I want you to take some Grimlings and dispose of the remaining rangers."

When Kalamax heard that he had chosen Crescenda to fight, his envy grew exponentially.

"But, sire. What of the Gold Ranger? Maybe sending her into battle is unwise." Kalamax asked. With his power, he feared the grimlings would be no match.

"Kalamax, your doubt annoys me!" Reapus shouted in rage causing the squid-like general to cower in the corner. "I've prepared for such an occasion. Behold!"

From the bowels of the ship, green wraiths seeped through the floorboards and materialized into two-legged crocodilian creatures with large mouths and no eyes.

"These are Dragannons, far superior and much more vicious than the grimlings. Use them and your victory will be assured."

"Of course. I won't fail you, my lord. Come. Let's send the other rangers to the great beyond." Crescenda chuckled as she ordered her new henchmen to follow her to the surface. Kalamax skulked to his corner and glowered. Once again, he was passed over in favor of Crescenda. Clearly, she was his favorite.

************

In the vast blackness of space, Celeste's star twinkled but its aura was less than shining. The shrouded beauty sat on her crystal as she meditated. She was aware of Byron's plight and was monitoring it closely. When she heard about Plaguture infecting him with the black mist, she made preparations for the inevitable…and the time, unfortunately, had finally come.

"My rangers… I had hoped this would not come to pass." She said to herself. "But Reapus leaves me no choice."

She rises from her crystal and her posture, which was usually slightly slouched due to her injuries, was firm and confident. The wounds she suffered from the war had healed completely. She walked around the main chamber of her start and prepared to leave for Miranoi. She knew this was a turning point for her rangers and she had to be ready at a moment's notice.

************

Back in the infirmary, Mike and the other rangers gathered around Byron's bed. The pink ranger, again, sat at the window sill. The young man was hooked up to a multitude of wires and tubes designed to prolong his life as much as possible. Seeing him like this was a lot for them to bear, some more than others. Hannah wiped her eyes put on the bravest face she could for her friend.

"Byron…" She whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"We tried to find a way to cure you, but…" Jun began. He couldn't finish because, inside, he felt like he failed and that sentiment was felt by all of them.

"Hey…" Byron said in a strained voice. He slowly sat up in his bed to look at his friends. "I still have time. For all we know, someone might run in with a cure at the last minute. I haven't given up; you guys shouldn't either." He said with his trademark smile. Even on his deathbed, the boy was an incurable optimist.

_"Fvian moof."_ Tacari thought to herself as she looked away. It wasn't that she didn't care; she did. More than she cared to show. In all her years in the jungle, she'd never met a soul like Byron's. Mike looked up at the window and when he saw the jungle girl averting her gaze, he shook his head. Helix went up to the red ranger's bed and put his hand on his shoulder.

"I never thought I'd actually meet someone who stares death in the face with a smile." Helix said half joking. His words garnered dirty looks from the others and he immediately tried to correct himself. "MY BAD! I-I mean…um…what I meant was…um…I got nothin'." He said sheepishly regretting what he said earlier. In truth, he admired the young man despite just meeting him a short while ago.

"It's alright." Byron chuckled. "I know what you mean."

James fought with the guilt he kept bottled up inside and also put on a brave front for his roommate.

"Hey, you're gonna beat this." He said with bravado. "Anybody who can make me give in to pretty much anything has to be alright. And since you're gonna be alright, can I have your cookie?" That last part made everyone in the room chuckle and considering the gravity of the situation, they needed it.

"Half." Byron grinned.

"Deal." James smirked back.

The mood was lightening slightly until alarms started blaring. One of the tower officers rushed in with a laptop.

"Sir! Monsters are sighted just outside the infirmary!" The officer relayed in a panic.

Mike looked at the footage on the screen and he saw Crescenda and the usual grimlings. Although nothing seemed out of the ordinary, he still had a bad feeling about it.

"Of course they'd attack now!" He thought with a groan. "James, take the others and hold them off as long as you can."

"Right!" The blue ranger agreed as he looked to his teammates.

"I'm…coming, too!" Byron insisted.

"No, you're not! You're staying in bed. Doctor's AND my orders." Mike stressed.

"But…"

"No buts! Helix, you and I are gonna have to watch him. He can't afford to fight the way he is now."

"I'll strap him in if I have to." Helix agreed.

Byron pouted as he got back into bed. The guy's facing death and he still finds a way to let his personality shine through.

"Okay, Mike and Goldie's got this! Let's go, guys!" James said rallying his troops. The blue, green, pink and yellow rangers leave Byron's room only to have two more visitors enter through the same window Tacari just vacated. The small fox and rabbit/cat hybrid she played with hopped in and jumped onto Byron's bed. The furry animals snuggled up to the red ranger and purred.

"Hey, guys. You keeping me company?" He asked petting them both. Mike couldn't help but smile.

_"I guess she does care, after all."_ He smirked to himself.

************

Outside the infirmary, Crescenda and her crop of minions were laying waste everywhere. Staff and patients fled in panic as Grimlings destroyed everything within range.

"Yes! Leave nothing standing!" Crescenda ordered with her precious shamisen in hand; she was confident that things would go their way in this battle. The parking lot was seconds away from being a crater when…

"That's far enough!" James shouted as he and the others arrived.

"Who are you, anyway?" Jun asked.

"Ah, rangers! How nice of you to come." The melodic general replied with dripping sarcasm. "I am Crescenda-Lord Reapus' right hand." She looked at the four who stood before her and she had a knowing smirk on her face. "Oh, no red ranger? I do hope he hasn't taken ill." She chuckled evilly knowing that her words would strike a chord. No pun intended.

**"Voy ICTIB!"** Tacari shouted. "You'll all pay with your hides!"

"For once, we're in total agreement! Ready!" James asked his team.

"Ready!" All four opened their Stroke morphers and shouted:

**"RIDE****THE****NO****VA!"**

The four rangers went through their journeys through the stars before landing back in the planet in their ranger uniforms.

"We're taking you and your boss down, lady!" James threatened.

"Idle words, blue ranger. Grimlings, ATTACK!"

The red and yellow shogun demons charged the four rangers, but this time, they were joined by Crescenda herself.

"Oh, man! Guys, I'll take the Lady GaGa reject. Can you handle the grimlings?"

"We're gonna have to!" Hannah replied as she and the others took on the horde of chattering demons. The battle proved to be more daunting than they realized. It was mostly due to all of them being preoccupied with what was happening to Byron.

"How is your red ranger? Is he looking a bit green?" She laughed sinisterly as she kicked James in the ribs.

"Shut up about him!" Hannah yelled, but her emotions were getting in the way. The same thing was happening with Jun and Tacari. In a matter of moments, the green, pink and yellow rangers were being overrun as the grimlings took advantage of their broken focus. James' battle with Crescenda wasn't going too well, either.

"Tell me how does it feel? How do you sleep at night knowing that your best efforts to save your friend weren't good enough?" Crescenda taunted in question. Her comment was enough to send James into a blind rage and she used that to her advantage. He wildly slashed and kicked at the musical general but Crescenda easily blocked his every advance. She was proving to be a formidable fighter as she drew a hidden blade from her beloved shamisen. Catching the blue ranger off guard, she slashed him across the chest sending him back with the others.

"This is getting us nowhere!" Tacari shouted.

"You're right!" James agreed as he held his ribs. "Time to kick things up a notch! **NEBULA BOGEN!"**

**"CELESTIAL FAN!"******

**"ASTRAL LANCER!"******

**"STAR GRAZER!"**

The rangers call for their secondary weapons and went into battle with renewed energy. Grimlings were being cut down to size and the scene was too much for the sinister songstress to stomach.

"Oh, rangers!" She called out to them. "I have a little surprise for you all!"

She strummed her precious instrument and large, golden colored monsters appeared. They were basically crocodile heads on a pair of legs but the sharp teeth in their jaws let them know that they meant business.

"Meet Lord Reapus' new minions-the Dragannons!" Crescenda explained. "They're stronger and far more vicious than the Grimlings. Now…let's see how your little toys stack up. Dragannons…ATTACK!"

Round two had started for the rangers and, as feared, the Dragannons were just as fierce as Crescenda made them out to be. Despite not having arms, these creatures were deceptively fast.

"Watch your backs!" Jun warned as he tried fighting off three of the reptilian menaces. Just like before, the rangers couldn't focus solely on the battle as their minds kept wandering back to the bedridden red ranger. It didn't help that Crescenda kept picking at their emotional wounds.

"I still can't believe the ancient rangers sought fit to make YOU rangers. Being dead for over a thousand years must have clouded their judgment…especially where the red ranger's concerned!"

"Shut your mouth or I'll shut it for ya!" James threatened as he haphazardly swung his blade only to have it blocked by Crescenda's.

"Better men than you have tried!" She shot back as she struck him with her shamisen.

"AAAHHH!" Hannah's screams echoed as one of the Dragannons had her in its powerful jaws. "Help!"

"HANNAH!" Tacari waved her fan and pink gusts of wind knocked the crocodile away from the yellow ranger. But as she got ready to run to her side, the pink ranger was double teamed from behind by two more of Reapus' newest creations.

"TACA-" Jun was rammed by three Dragannons before he could finish his sentence, let alone come to the aid of the girls.

************

Back at the infirmary, Mike watches the battle and grows concerned for the rangers.

"Helix, get out there, quick!" Mike ordered.

"I'm already halfway there! **SUPERNOVA! RIDE ON!"** In a brilliant flash of light, Helix transforms and streaks to the battle leaving Mike, Byron and the furries behind. Seeing that Mike was concentrating on the screen in front of him, Byron slowly got out of bed and grabbed his morpher but before he could take a step towards the door, the two-tailed fox kit yipped alerting Mike to what was going on.

"Don't even think about it!" The officer warned. "Byron, you're in no shape to fight a ladybug, forget an entire army!"

"I'm not…gonna just…lay here…" Byron began as he got into his wheelchair. "…while my friends… need my help!"

Mike ran over and held the brakes on the chair preventing the red ranger from moving an inch.

"Byron…please!" Mike shouted. "I can't let you do that!"

The red ranger looked into Mike's eyes and, for the first time, he had a look of determination the likes of which the former Magna Defender had never seen. He, then, said something that would sway Mike into letting him fight.

"Consider it…a dying man's last request."

Mike's gaze slowly softened as did his grip on the wheelchair. He knew that Byron would fight to his last breath and there was nothing in the universe that would stop him. He straightened his posture and walked around to the back of the chair.

"Let's go." He said quietly as he pushed the red ranger out of the room.

************

Outside, the tide had turned for the rangers as they were viciously being beaten back by Crescenda and both sets of minions. The songstress used her hidden blade to land crushing blows to the blue ranger sending him into his teammates who were on their last legs.

"This is the best Celeste has to offer? Pathetic!" She scoffed. "Grimlings…Dragannons…get them out of my sight!"

The demonic minions obeyed Crescenda without question and advanced on the quartet of weakened rangers who struggled to get to their feet.

"We have to keep fighting!" Tacari groaned.

"Fight? I can barely stand!" Hannah said in a strained voice.

"We could really use the Zeta Bullet right about now." Jun coughed out. Just as the grimlings and dragannons were about to deliver the death blow, a voice rang out.

**"SHOOTING STAR BARRAGE!"** Helix shouted as he arrived on the scene. He drew his blade and quickly disposed of the grimlings and dragannons in the blink of an eye. All that could be seen from his attacks were fleeting streaks of light as Reapus' minions fell one by one. The Gold Ranger looked back to his friends and nodded.

"Will a golden bullet do?" He asked looking right at Hannah. In her eyes, he was a knight in shining armor. Jun, however, saw him as competition. Crescenda saw this golden buttinski as a nuisance that needed to be dealt with.

"I forgot about the gold one." She murmured. "Luckily…Reapus didn't! ARACHNITURE, COME FORTH!"

Crescenda plucked a few strings and the music summoned a large red and black spider with sharp claws and a red skull pattern on its head.

"I pity the fool who thinks he can mess with me!" He growled in a gruff voice.

"You mean 'fools'." Crescenda corrected as she pointed to the rangers. "The gold one is especially foolish."

"What! I misplace my discs ONE TIME and you're gonna hold that against me?" Helix shouted with a slight whine.

"Not the best time!" James yelled as he and the others got ready to fight.

"Cut the jibba jabba! You little pipsqueaks are going down!" Arachniture threatened.

Before the rangers had a chance to catch their breath, the hulking spider used his own speed to his advantage. Hard as the rangers tried, they were no match for his strength and agility. All five tried to gang up on him by striking all at once, but Arachniture jumped into the air and spun so fast, the Tasmanian Devil would be proud. His spinning body rammed into each ranger knocking them back with small explosions.

"We can't quit!" Tacari shouted as she was about to spin the disc on her sword.

"Don't give me no lip, woman!" The spider snarled as strands of silk shot from his fanged mandibles. "SPINNERET SHROUD!"

The silken threads wrapped around the girls as he sent red lightning coursing through. The bolts of electricity blasted the girls back leaving them open for Arachniture's next move.

"VENOM STRIKE!" His eyes glowed a menacing red; he brought his clawed hand around and in a flash of red light, the girls were caught in an explosion so big, it knocked them into the infirmary wall and nearly knocked them unconscious.

*************

Back in space, Celeste watched everything unfold from her star and when she saw a weakened Byron risk everything to fight, she knew she had to act.

"There's not a moment to lose." She said to herself. She sang a few hauntingly beautiful notes and her shrouded body began to radiate in an intense light. In a flash, she turned into a star and shot out from her celestial home en route to the planet below.

************

"HANNAH! TACARI!" The guys shouted. The blue, green and gold rangers were set to face off against the large arachnid when…

"Save some for me, guys!" Everyone turned to the source of the voice. James and the others were shocked to see Byron struggling to get out of his wheelchair and stand long enough to help out his friends.

"Byron!"

"You can't…"

But his friends' pleas fell on deaf ears. Byron took out his Stroke Morpher and shouted:

**"RIDE THE N-"**

To everyone's horror, the last of the red ranger's energy gave out and Byron fell forward. His morpher flew from his hand as his body made contact with the ground.

"Byron! Hang on!" Helix ran to his fallen friend and tried to pick up his morpher, but the large spider used his silk to snatch it away before the gold ranger could reach it.

"Lose somethin', fool?" Aracniture taunted as he crushed the red ranger's morpher in his talons.

James and the other rangers watched in horror as this huge spider literally crushed any hope of a victory. Not wanting his friend to suffer the same fate, he took the reins.

"Helix! Get him out of here! Hurry!"

"You don't have to tell me twice!"

"Chest…hurts." Byron groaned in pain.

The Gold Ranger and Mike scramble to get Byron back inside while the others got ready to face Arachniture, Cresenda and a new crop of grimlings and dragannons. The sun was setting in the sky and it looked as if it would set for the rangers as well, that is, if it wasn't for an orb of blinding light that appeared in the middle of the battlefield. Its brilliance frightened Crescenda and the minions as they tried to shield their eyes.

"Retreat!" She ordered and all of the Styxerians vanished. The light that had succeeded in getting rid of them shifted into a human form that the rangers recognized immediately.

"CELESTE?" They shouted happily.

"Yes, my rangers." She said softly.

"You came just in the nick of time." Hannah sighed.

"Yeah, you saved our bacon!" James added with a grin. Each of the rangers gave their thanks to the celestial mentor, but Celeste was far from jovial. Her eyes gave it away.

"What's wrong?" Jun asked, worry lacing his voice.

Celeste looked upon each ranger and then allowed her gaze to settle on Byron.

"Rangers…I'm afraid the poison inside Byron has run its course." She said seriously. Normally, that phrase meant that the worst was over, but her eyes said something completely different and the rangers picked up on it immediately.

"What does that mean exactly?" Tacari asked wanting a clear answer. The sadness in the galactic mentor's eyes shone through as she spoke.

"It means...Byron only has a few hours left on this planet."

************

A few hours passed and the moon was high in the sky overlooking Mari Lake. Below the surface where his ship rested, Reapus was livid that Celeste had appeared on Miranoi and sent his troops running like rats off a…well, you know.

"Man, why'd she have to throw salt in a brutha's game! I was on fire!" Arachniture complained.

"S-s-s-sire? Calm down, please!" Kalamax cajoled his lord.

"WHY! Why should I be calm at a time like this!" Reapus growled.

"Because thanks to myself, your minions and Arachniture, the rangers are beaten within an inch of their lives." Crescenda explained plucking her strings.

This bit of information seemed to soothe the crimson beast enough for him to issue out the order that could spell the rangers' doom.

"Arachniture…go back and take that remaining inch."

"I hear dat! I'm out!" With renewed vigor, the hulking spider returns to the surface for round two.

************

Back in the infirmary, Byron was in bed with even more tubes and monitors hooked up to him. He was sweating profusely and his breathing was labored. The small animals who had kept him company were now perched on his window sill watching the humans and their weird contraptions as they tried to save the one Tacari battled with. In their eyes, any friend of hers was a friend of theirs. Machines beeped loudly and doctors scrambled to stave off the Grim Reaper as much as they can as the rangers waited outside the room.

"He-he can't die." Hannah whispered.

Unfortunately, they had no time to grieve as the alarms blared once again. Mike ran through the halls and looked at the rangers with anger in his eyes.

"He's back."

"Then let's wash this itsy bitsy spider out…for good!" James growled. The way he felt, he needed something to take his frustrations out on and Arachniture fit the bill.

"No…for Byron!" Jun corrected. Everyone gave him a nod before running back outside.

"Yeah, rangers! Let's get this party crack-a-lackin'!" The spider taunted. Just seeing the eight-legged freak was enough to raise the ire of the five heroes.

"For Byron! Ready!" James asked his friends.

"Ready! **RIDE THE NOVA!"**

**"SUPERNOVA! RIDE ON!" **Helix shouted as he and the others morphed. This time, the rangers initiated the charge as they drew their striders. Though they were ready for a battle, they only had one thing on their minds-the young man fighting for his life inside the infirmary. Still fatigued from their earlier battle, none of them were in the top fighting shape they needed to be. Arachniture, thanks to his return to the lake, was refreshed and as strong as ever.

"Man, this is nothin'! But, I'll take it any way I can get it! SPINNERET SHROUD!" Silken threads shout out and ensnared all five rangers. They tried to break free, but with their depleted strength, it was futile. Arachniture sent red lightning through the strands shocking the five rangers into submission.

************

In the infirmary...

"He's crashing!" A nurse shouted. "We're losing him!"

The ominous, steady tone of the flat line echoed in Byron's room as the doctor shouted.

"I need paddles, STAT!"

The nurse came in with the crash cart and the doctor proceeded to restart the young man's heart.

"CLEAR!"

He shocked the red ranger until his body jerked, but the eerie flatline tone still droned.

"AGAIN! CLEAR!"

************

"Time for you to posse out! VENOM STRIKE!" His talons slashed the air sending crimson scythes of energy at the downed heroes. The impact was so massive, all five were knocked out of morph. Battered and bruised, the rangers were laid out with Arachniture looked down on them as if they were his prey.

Back in the infirmary, the sounds of doctors and nurses were no longer heard. The only sounds in the room were that of a flatlining EKG machine…and two tiny creatures…crying.

************

_It seems like Reapus has finally succeeded where other evil leaders have failed. He caused the death of a red ranger. How will the others cope and can they rally together without Byron to lead them? Eve rything will be revealed in the next chapter of…_

Power Rangers: GALAXY STRIDERS!

************

End of Act 11

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	12. Alpha to Omega, Pt II

**Chapter 12: Alpha to Omega-Part 2**

Black-that was the color James and the rangers had in common; it was the hue of the bruises sported by the battered quintet. They were beaten within an inch of their lives by their latest foe, a hulking red and black spider called Arachniture. The scene could have been plucked right from a nature show because the eight-legged demon eyed the fallen rangers as if they were flies stuck in his web.

"Aw, yeah! I got it poppin' like fried baloney!" Arachniture boasted as he charged up for a devastating venom strike. The rangers, who barely had the energy to stand let alone fight, were strewn in front of their nemesis barely conscious. James held his sides trying to hide just how much pain he was in, but he knew that it was all in vain. Arachniture could smell the blood in the water and was poising himself for another attack.

"We can't let this foul beast win!" Tacari snarled as she looked up at Arachniture. As hopeless as it seemed, she wasn't about to be intimidated.

"We need a plan..." He grunted.

"How about a giant can of Black Flag?" Helix groaned as he struggled to get on his knees. The green ranger looked over at his golden counterpart and shot him a look of disbelief.

"How you can joke right now is beyond me." Jun commented as he held his ribs. The green ranger gritted his teeth in pain, his ribs possibly broken from the abuse.

"What can I say? It's a gift." The Gold Ranger chuckled, but then groaned soon after. It even hurt him to laugh. Thankfully, for the boys, Hannah had enough presence of mind to bring them back on focus.

"Guys, we have to hurry. Byron doesn't much time left." Hannah whispered as she tried to get her bearings.

=====

Meanwhile…

While the battle ensued outside, another was taking place in the hospital room of the red ranger. The staff scrambled to save the upbeat young man using everything they had at their disposal. Mike watched helplessly as he was ordered to stay back; the small animals stayed perched on the windowsill. Five minutes went by…10…20. 30 minutes had passed and personnel in white lab coats surrounded the bed of a certain red ranger as he lay lifeless. Only two sounds could be heard in the room-the steady monotone droning of a flatlining EKG…and the sad whimpers of two tiny animals. The double-tailed fox and the cat/rabbit hybrid cried as the head doctor looked at the clock on the wall. With a heavy sigh and an even heavier heart, he made the announcement nobody wanted to hear.

"I'm calling it. T.O.D...6:54 pm." Dr. Aleth said in a low voice as he removed his stethoscope. That one statement left Mike catatonic and frozen in his spot; he felt like time just stood still. He couldn't find the words or the thought to understand them. The former Magna Defender let his mind go black just so he could avoid letting what just happened sink in. Finding the strength to move, he walked over to Byron's bed and, like the other medical personnel, stood over his friend's still warm corpse. Tacari's furry friends jumped down from the sill and hopped onto the bed. They lay on top of the red ranger's body and tried licking his face to wake him; the little ones hoped that this was just a game and that he wasn't really dead. Dr. Aleth witnessed this and shook his head while the rest of the doctors unhooked Byron from the machines.

"Nurse, take these animals..." He couldn't finish his sentence because Mike broke his silence long enough to protest.

"They stay."

Dr. Aleth looked to the Terra Venture officer in shock.

"But…"

"I said THEY STAY!" Mike stressed. When Dr. Aleth saw the depth of conviction in his face, he relented.

"Very well. Come, nurse. We have to draw up the papers."

As the nurse followed, the little ones looked up at Mike with sad eyes as if to ask "he's really gone." When Mike looked at the small animals, it was all he could do to keep from breaking down in front of them.

"... I know." He whispered. He picked up the little ones and cradled them in his arms. Both babies buried their faces into his chest and cried and as Mike carefully stroked their fur, his hand started to shake. He stood there as the lone orderly pulled the white sheet over Byron's lifeless body. The employee, in essence, brought the curtain down on a life that was taken far too soon. He was thankful the little ones didn't see. As the little ones snuggled into his arms, an officer walked in slowly. When she saw the covered body and Mike's reaction, she spoke tentatively.

"Sir, I know this is a bad time, but you have a guest. A…robot?" She said softly. "It said you're expecting him. If you want, I can tell it that this is a bad time…"

As much as he wanted to say that, he knew that Byron wouldn't want him to be sad. He also knew that the red ranger wouldn't want him or the others to stop fighting because he wasn't around anymore.

"No, I'll be there in a minute. " Mike answered quietly. He wanted to stay, but this meeting was too important since it could tip the scales in their favor in the long run.

"Yes, sir. And…I'm sorry." She said sadly.

"Thank you." He replied as she left the room. He looked down at the babies and figured they shouldn't be left alone so he took them with him to his office to meet his guest.

=====

Back outside…

A chilling wind blew through the battlefield extinguishing the high towers of flames from the fracas. Each ranger started to feel a void of emotion as the ominous wind tore through them.

"Whoa. You guys feel that?" Hannah asked as she shivered. Jun went rigid as the wind seemed to penetrate his very core. When his mind went back to Byron, his eyes went wide.

"Y-you don't think…"

Tacari, who was more in tune with her senses than most, knew that this wind was a sign. She looked at the green and yellow rangers with a dark expression on her face.

"I do. Byron's...gone." She said in a low voice.

James' eyes went wide when Tacari spoke. He dropped his sword and walked slowly towards her, his steps uneven. He grabbed Tacari's shoulders and then said unevenly,

"You don't mean that. Right, guys?" He asked looking at the others. "She can't mean that. That was just a joke... a very bad joke... right?" He asked as his voice started to crack.

Helix looked at the pair and then into Tacari's wild eyes. As much as he wanted it to be a joke, he could tell by the look in her eyes that she was dead serious. No pun intended. The last thing he wanted to do was take away James' last bit of hope, but he had to face the truth.

"James, I haven't known her as long as you guys have and even I can tell she doesn't joke." He said seriously.

James whipped his head around to face the Gold Ranger. The smile he had on his face resembled the Mad Hatter. It was a smile that masked the truth he didn't want to face.

"There's a first time for everything, right? I mean, she can't really mean that..." The Blue Ranger chuckled hysterically.

He, then, looked among his friends; he peered into their eyes one by one hoping they were in on this sick joke. But all of them mirrored the jungle woman's expression of dread. James' mad smile left him as the reality started to sink in. His body started shaking and his jaw clenched tight.

"No... Byron... DAAAAAMMMMMMIT!" He started to cry, more than he had ever done in his entire life.

As James cried, each ranger expressed sorrow in their own way. Hannah tried to hold it in but buried her face into Jun's chest. Jun tried to mask his own despair by trying to comfort the yellow ranger in her time of need. Helix clenched his fists tightly and hung his head while Tacari threw her head back and let out a grief-driven shriek that echoed for miles.

=====

On Celeste's star…

The stellar mentor had been keeping an eye on everything going on in the infirmary and on the battlefield. As she foretold, Byron had passed and the rangers weren't taking it well at all.

"I am so sorry, my rangers." She whispered to herself. "I know your pain, but you must carry on the fight. You should not let your resolve waver, not even in the face of death." Her words were filled with sorrow but her eyes didn't reflect it.

=====

While the air on the battlefield and on Celeste's star was thick with sorrow, the air aboard Reapus' ship was filled with jubilation at the news of the Red Ranger's passing.

"Kalamax, pop open my best champagne. I feel like celebrating tonight!" Said an ecstatic Reapus.

"At once, my lord!" Kalamax readily obeyed.

He giddily found his master's best bottle and handed it to him. Crescenda, of course, played her unerring song. Even in celebration, her melancholy melody never changed. Shadius, although hesitant to admit it, was also jubilant.

"I must say, Reappy-boy... you seem to have actually done something correctly! Color me impressed!"

_"I'd rather color you gone."_ Kalamax thought as he poured the champagne into his master's red bowl. Reapus shrugged him off believing that he was just masking his jealousy of his success.

"Honestly, I'm far too happy to deal with your dry sarcasm, you fruit bat. No... tonight we all shall celebrate until dawn!"

"And beyond!" Kalamax added. "Come, Crescenda! Join us!"

While Reapus and reveled in their victory, Crescenda stopped playing to bring up a pertinent piece of information everyone seemed to have forgotten.

"As much as I'd love to join you, we still have the matter of the other five rangers to deal with."

Reapus stopped drinking his champagne in mid sip and acknowledged Crescenda's concerns.

"This is true... but without Red, they are of no consequence. Our previous battles have proven this much."

"Still..." She stalled. Something told her not to count them out so quickly.

"Oh, come now, Crissy. Turn that frown upside down." Shadius urged as he flamboyantly waved his fan.

Reapus mulled over the musical general's words for a moment and then spoke.

"Do not address my minions so callously, Shadius. If Crescenda thinks that we may need to take extra precaution..." He pointed towards the city from their position. "…then her concerns might have some merit. Give the order to Arachniture to eliminate the others."

"At once, my lord." She replied as she left for the surface. Shadius looked on and smirked to himself as Reapus left the room. The scene in front of him presented a prime chance for him to increase the discord between Kalamax and Crescenda.

"It must chafe your tentacles, Kally-boy. You always seem to be left sitting on the bench while others bogard all the glory."

Kalamax scoffed at his words. It was a vain attempt to hide the fact that it did bother him more than he cared to admit to the new guy.

"What's it to you? Lord Reapus and that... woman can do what they please."

"Tsk tsk. Why all the animosity?" Shadius asked feigning concern. "I'm just trying to make conversation."

The evil squid shook his head in disbelief.

"The only reason you have anything to say is because you have an ulterior motive... but, I suppose you are right. I do get the short end of the stick in this place."

"Well, don't you think it's high time Reappy-boy saw you for the valuable member you are? You're the real mind behind the muscle." He asked. "I mean, so Crissy can fight. Take that away and she's nothing but his glorified lounge singer."

Kalamax got a good chuckle out of that one.

"Indeed. But how would I go about proving myself? Lord Reapus would never pay attention to MY exploits."

"Then go rogue. Make him see what you have to bring to the table." Shadius urged. 'If nothing else, he'll appreciate your initiative." _"It has to be a crime to manipulate someone so easily."_ He thought to himself.

Kalamax wandered away taking Shadius' words under consideration.

_"This should be fun to watch."_ Shadius thought as he admired his handiwork. "Man, it makes me miss Springer."

With a sinister chuckle, he left the ship to resume his search for the legendary "Heart."

=====

Back on the battlefield…

The rangers were all overtaken with grief as an impatient Arachniture watched. It boggled his mind how easily humans could be so overcome with emotion.

"Aw, come on! There's no crying during a smackdown, fool!" Arachniture taunted. "Man, you guys are suckas! QUIT YO BLUBBERIN' BEFORE I GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO CRY ABOUT!"

Those words would not bode well for the spider-like creature. James's body went rigid; his bloodshot eyes flashed as he wiped his tear-stained face. He breathing was ragged as he spoke.

"This is all your fault! You bastards took him from us! Now, I think it's time we returned the favor! GUYS!" He shouted out passionately while holding his morpher. **"FOR BYRON!"**

The others stood next to James and all held out their morphers in the same fashion. They wanted to avenge their friend's death as badly as the blue ranger. Staring into Arachniture's eight eyes, they all shouted:

**"FOR BYRON! ****RIDE****THE****NO****VA!****"**

**"SUPERNOVA! RIDE ON!"**

All five rangers got their second wind and ran towards Aracniture with brimming with sorrow and vengeance. They gave their morphers a single stroke and, in five multicolored flashes, they morphed into uniform. With swords drawn, they charged the overgrown spider and took out their grief on the not-so-itsy bitsy spider. Every slash and strike that connected with his red and black sprayed sparks that could rival any 4th of July fireworks display. They didn't need to call for their secondary weapons; the emotion behind every swing of their sword was all the power they needed.

**"****AUR****ORA****BLA****DES!****"**

**"SHOOTING STAR BARRAGE!"**

Energy swirled around the core rangers' sword in their respective colors as they and Helix launched their final attack on Arachniture. The Gold Ranger went in first and used his blinding speed to subdue the hulking spider. His body moved so fast, not even Arachniture with his 8 eyes could follow.

**"GUYS! NOW!"**

The other four rangers slashed their blades and four arcs of energy streaked towards the large spider until it collided with him in a massive explosion. Arachniture rolled to a stop, his body smoldering from the attack.

"Hey! Time out!" He shouted. "Where did you fools get that kind of power? Man, Reapus didn't give me the 4-1-1 about this! Forget this jibba jabba! I'm kickin' rocks! Peace out!" With that, he vanished through the cracks leaving the rangers to come down from their battle high. A few seconds later, they demorphed; all the energy they had was used up in that fight. Unfortunately, the despair and sorrow they felt remained. Helix, for some strange reason known only to himself, left the field without uttering a word to anyone. The rangers watched as he walked away and decided not to persuade him to stay; they knew he needed some time to cope. They all did.

=====

In a black void, somewhere unseen and yet visible… somewhere here, yet nonexistent... appeared a physical body, which wasn't physical at all. In a mass of energy, looking none the worse for wear, appeared Byron. He was floating and his eyes were closed as if he were asleep. When he finally opened them, all he could see was darkness; he wasn't entirely sure he had opened his eyes at all.

"Whoa. Where am I?" He asked, his query aimed at nobody in particular.

A slash came from his left side as if to answer him. There was a slice cut through the very fabric of time and a golden light shone out of it. The intensity was even stronger than that of the Gold Ranger. From the hole, a voice boomed loudly.

"Do you wish to live?"

Byron jumped at the sound of the voice and floated backwards. With wide eyes he shouted:

"Um... yes, please!" He answered with a voice slightly higher than normal.

The rip opened slowly, turning into a circular shape. Stepping out of it was a statuesque figure of a golden knight. His helmet was in the shape of a golden wolf bearing its fangs.

"Then... I must ask you a question. For what reason do you fight?"

When Byron looked at the knight, he was awestruck…and scared out of his mind. He gulped loudly and then summoned enough courage to ask a question of his own.

"First, can you tell me where I am?" He asked timidly.

"You are inside your very soul." The knight answered.

"O…kay." The red ranger said slowly. "But, who are you?" He asked, his curiosity getting the best of him. Even in the blackness of this abyss, he still found time to be Byron. The knight looked at the red ranger and spoke with authority.

"I am all there is and all that will be." He replied in cryptic fashion.

Byron gave the knight an incredulous look.

"Who are you? Bret 'Hitman' Hart?" He thought with a tilt of his head. Byron thought back to everything that happened before he arrived and he gasped. The last thing he remembered was being wheeled out of the infirmary by Mike and seeing his friends fighting Arachniture. He also remembered trying to morph and passing out before he could finish the call.

"Guys…" He thought with dread. That new monster was strong, even with Helix's help. They needed him and he was stuck floating in this void like a feather in the wind. He looked to the knight and pleaded. "Please! My friends need my help! Is there any way I can get back to them?"

"First answer my question. For what reason do you fight?"

The red ranger sighed in frustration but he figured that he wouldn't get any answers to his questions until he gave the knight what he wanted.

"I fight to protect Miranoi and everyone on it…everyone I care about."

Orion looked at him intently. Quietly, he drew his sword and pointed the grandiose blade at Byron.

"That is what your heart tells you. You must shake off that mortal coat... and understand your true purpose." He pointed to Byron, and like magic, his Strider sword appeared in his hand. "To that end... you must ask your sword."

Byron looked at the sword in his hand and did a double take between it and the knight.

"Wait...wha-" He didn't have time to finish that thought because the golden knight had poised himself to strike.

"Now defend yourself!"

Byron looked at the knight and grasped his sword hesitantly.

"W-wait! I don't wanna fight you!"

"No... you don't." Whispered the knight as he, with inhuman speeds, rushed the unmorphed ranger.

Swinging his sword, he aimed to take the red ranger's head with one blow. But Byron brought up his sword to block the knight's strike. In his mind, Byron couldn't tell whether this knight was there to help him…or finish him off. In the stalemate, the knight used the opportunity to kick him in the chest.

"Never assume your opponent's motives. You must anticipate them!"

"Whoa! Hang on a minute! Can't we talk about this?" Byron asked fearfully.

"The only talking you should be doing is to yourself. Your life really is on the line here." The golden knight stressed as he charged at the young man.

Byron didn't know what to think at this point. Seeing that he had no other choice, he brought up his sword and defended himself as best he could. After what seemed like an eternity of swordplay, the knight looked down at Byron and sighed.

"You won't see any of your friends again at this rate. You are pitiful!"

Byron looked at the knight and snarled in annoyance. How dare he say Byron was pitiful.

"I'm not pitiful! And I WILL see my friends again!" Byron shouted as he went on the offensive. Frustration was behind very swing of his sword as he attacked the knight. "Just...who...are you!" He asked with each sword stroke.

Parrying with very little effort, the knight replied.

"You know me far more than even you yourself are aware of."

Byron's face reflected the mass confusion he was experiencing.

"What are you talking about? How am I supposed to know who you are? I don't completely know who I am!"

The golden warrior shook his head slowly.

"Perhaps if you didn't dwell on that so much and realized what you are capable of, then maybe a few doors would open for you." The knight replied before rushing towards the red ranger. The sword fight continued, but this time, with more intensity. Byron kept blocking and parrying but the knight proved to be very formidable.

"I don't...understand!" He replied in frustration. "If I'm capable of so much, why am I here?"

The knight looked upon his opponent with disdain behind his helmet.

"Because you let your enemies take advantage of your chivalry. The true red ranger in you would have parried the blast back towards the demon, not take the brunt of it. That death was no one's fault but your own!"

Byron held his sword fast and looked angrily at the knight standing before him.

"I can't believe you're saying that protecting my team... my FRIENDS... is a crime!" Byron shouted angrily. "You're supposed to be a knight! Your calling is to help people whenever possible and you condemn ME for doing the same! How messed up is that!"

The knight spoke, his own voice matching Byron's. All the while, he never stopped striking at the red ranger.

"And what of you? Is it not your duty to protect Miranoi? This is a war you are fighting, boy! A war centuries in the making! Sacrifices will have to be made and you must be willing to do so in the name of the peace!"

"If I make these SACRIFICES you're talking about, there won't be anyone left TO save Miranoi! Did you think about that!" Byron shot back as he kept blocking each move with his strider.

"So be it. You are a soldier! Make amends with that!"

Byron and the golden knight resumed their sword play with increased ferocity. Each side standing firm on their beliefs on what is right.

=====

Back on Reapus' ship…

The crimson lord was reveling in his success when Arachniture appeared before him. Smoke wafted from his body as he staggered in.

"Man! What have those fools been smokin'!" He asked in disbelief.

"Why have you returned? And why don't you have the heads of the others rangers on a silver platter?" Reapus bellowed.

"I had those suckas on the ropes and then… then they got this burst of power from out of nowhere!" Arachniture explained. "I felt like I got bet down by Rocky, Muhammad Ali AND George Foreman!"

Reapus slammed his bowl down onto the table so hard, he nearly broke both. He grabbed the red and black spider by the neck and pulled him close.

"I'm too close to ultimate victory to be saddled with your shortcomings!" He growled. "You're lucky that I'm in a relatively good mood because I'm granting you one more chance. I want you to return to the surface and finish off those rangers once and for all! But, before you do, I'm going to give you an upgrade. Don't waste it."

Reapus released Arachniture and held up his right hand. A flash of red came from it as a portion of his own power beamed into the large spider. Red lightning crackled from his body; his arms grew longer and sharper talons appeared at the ends while his mandibles extended and curved around his head like bull's horns. His fangs, which were already frightening, grew sharper and more intimidating. Looking down at his new body, Arachniture shadow boxed in excitement.

"Yeah, baby! Round two is about to start and it's gonna be on like Donkey Kong!" He shouted.

"Excellent. Now, go and don't come back until you have their skulls to present to me." Reapus ordered.

"I'm on it!" With that, Arachniture ran out, ready to give the rangers a run for their money. Reapus sat back on his throne and resumed his one-man celebration.

=====

Back at the Command Tower, Mike had made arrangements for Byron's funeral. He had arranged for a small ceremony with just his closest friends in attendance, but more people had come to say goodbye to the young man with the bright outlook on life. It seems as though he had touched more people than the Terra Venture officer realized. Byron was laid in a stately golden casket; standing on an easel was a large photo of Byron flashing his trademark grin and the peace sign. His star discs hung from the corners. Commander Stanton, the remaining rangers and some of the Command Tower staff showed up to pay their respects. They were all dressed in black; the rangers were as well with their signature colors as accents. Tacari, being Tacari, wore face paint as was her people's custom during a time of mourning. She opted to sit in the tree closest to the stage. The two furries that Tacari kept as company watched from the barrier separating the jungle from the city. As expected, there was much crying from everyone there. James and the rangers sat in the front row along with Commander Stanton. Mike stood behind a podium next to the casket as he began the ceremony.

"Thank you all for coming. As you know, we're all gathered her today to…say goodbye to an exceptional young man-Byron Gardener." Mike began. He cleared his throat a couple of times before continuing. "I know the majority of us hadn't had the chance to know him for very long, but in his short time on this planet, he managed to touch countless lives."

As Mike went on, Hannah sobbed softly. She wiped her eyes as Jun held her other hand.

"It isn't fair, Jun." She whispered, her voice breaking as she did. "I mean, why Byron?"

Jun, who was doing everything to not break down himself, looked at the yellow ranger and whispered back.

"I wish I had an answer to that; I honestly do."

"Now, would any of you like to say a few words?" He asked, his question mainly directed at the rangers. Jun saw that Hannah wanted to speak so he stood up and offered her his hand. She looked up at the green ranger and nodded softly. The pair walked up to the podium and stood next to each other. The rangers made sure they didn't divulge their alter egos.

"What can you say about the guy, huh?" Jun began. "Nothing ever seemed to phase him. Not even when I borrowed his mp3 player and accidentally ran over it with one of the jeeps. I came clean about it to him a couple of weeks ago and you know what he said?" He asked as a tear ran down his cheek. "He just gave me that silly grin of his and said that it was okay. He had all the music stored in his head so he could listen to it anytime he wanted."

For the first time since his passing, Jun let out a choked sob.

"Man, why is it always the nice ones that…" When he looked at Byron's casket, he couldn't finish his sentence. Hannah had to summon everything she had to keep from breaking down herself.

"I guess the thing I'll miss most about him is his child-like curiosity. He visited the school one day and, needless to say, he fit in with my kids seamlessly. If it wasn't for the fact that he was twice their height and more than twice their ages, he could pass for one of my students." Hannah said with a sad chuckle.

She and Jun put green and yellow flowers on top of the golden casket and whispered a final goodbye before taking their seats. Helix was the next to stand up and say his peace about the young man.

"I only got to meet the kid a couple of weeks ago but we clicked from the moment we met." He began. "When I arrived, he welcomed me into the fold without a moment's hesitation." He looked at Byron's pic and a smirk crossed his lips. "See? That's what I'm gonna miss about him-that smile. It can light up a room, can't it? Now that he's gone, the world just doesn't seem as bright anymore. I'm gonna miss ya, kid."

He placed a gold colored flower onto the casket to join the blossoms Jun and Hannah placed there. Soon, everyone's gaze turned to the trees and a stone-faced Tacari. Nobody really expected the jungle girl to say anything let alone be at the funeral at all. But she was about to surprise them…somewhat. Leaping from her spot in the tree, she made her way to the podium and her face betrayed none of the deep sorrow she was feeling at that moment.

"Byron was a naïve and foolish child…" She began. Those in attendance quietly murmured at the jungle woman's words, but she was unconcerned about what they thought about her. "…but those were some of his better qualities. Never in my life have I seen a soul as pure as his." She quickly placed a rare pink jungle blossom and spoke in her native tongue. "Pg oi fcaep, hnuoy soirraw. Voy hnoleb pt fht trats xon."

"What did she say, Jun?" Hannah whispered.

Jun watched as Tacari took her place back in the tree and nodded. When he heard Hannah ask about what the jungle girl said, Jun whispered:

"Something I never thought I'd hear from Tacari."

Commander Stanton opted not to speak for fear he would lose it. Mike nodded in understanding and looked at James. He was the closest to Byron out of everyone and wondered if he would be composed enough to say something. He smiled when he saw the blue ranger make his way to the podium. He looked at the casket containing his best friend and took a deep breath before speaking.

"As Tacari said, Byron was naïve, but that was part of his charm." He began. "I know that first hand since I was the one who found him but, looking back on it, I'm starting to think he found me. I remember when we first met like it was yesterday…"

=====

_James made his way through the streets of River End as he usually did-alone. He wasn't the most sociable person in the city so when people passed by him, they either ignored him or made a point to stay away from him which suited the loner just fine. He was about to make his way back to his apartment when he saw a young man with doe eyes walking around like a babe lost in the woods. Shaking his head, he walked to the guy and grabbed his arm._

"Hey, are you alright?" James asked.

"Don't hurt me, please!" The young man pleaded. James was taken aback by how skittish this guy was. He just grabbed his arm, and not that hard.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, dude. If I was, you'd be in the hospital right now." The man in blue replied. Seeing as how the young man wearing the red sweater wasn't convinced, he slowly let go of his arm. "See? No harm, no foul. So, how did you get here?" He may have looked like a bad boy, but he had a soft spot for the newcomer.

"I…don't know." The man answered slightly confused.

"Well, where did you come from?" James asked hoping that would garner an answer.

"I'm not really sure." He replied with a shrug. James let out a heavy sigh as he noticed that this conversation was going nowhere fast. He tried one more question and hope for a different result.

"Okay…your name. Do you at least know that?" James asked slightly frustrated.

"Um… no?" The young man replied while scratching his head. James slapped his palm against his forehead and shook his head in disbelief.

"Oh, come on! You mean you don't even know your own name?"

"No." The man whispered. "I think I have…what's that called…magnesia!"

James just stared blankly at the baby-faced man before speaking.

"You mean amnesia."

"Yeah, that."

All James could do was shake his head at the guy. Was he really that clueless?

"Well, since you don't remember your name, I guess I can give you one until you can remember." James started to look around for something that would give him some insporation. "Let's see. How about…" He looked at a billboard and there was a name of a well-known celebrity. "…Byron. Byron…what?" His gaze landed on a woman planting seeds in a window box and smiled. "Byron Gardener."

The young man thought about his new name for a moment and flashed what would be his trademark grin.

"I like it."

"Cool. My name's James. I'm assuming you don't have anywhere to stay."

"No, I don't." Byron replied looking ashamed.

"Hey, chill. No biggie; you can crash at my place."

"I don't wanna destroy your home." The young man answered honestly making James chuckle.

"No. 'Crash' means to stay somewhere." James explained. It became clear that this guy was gonna need a lot more than just a place to crash. "Come on. You're new and you have amnesia. There are lowlifes here that will eat you alive."

"There are cannibals around here!" Byron asked looking around frantically. James cringed at Byron's naivete and grabbed his arm again.

"Let's just go!" The man in blue said as he rushed his new roommate to his place. "What the hell have I gotten myself into?" He thought to himself.

Tears were falling down James' face and all of the rangers went up to him. Everyone was involved in a group hug. Tacari placed her hand on his shaking shoulder. She wasn't the type to express emotions, but she still wanted to let James know she was there for him. The blue ranger stopped crying long enough to place a blue blossom on his friend's casket before saying one more thing.

"You were the best friend I ever had…or ever will have. I loved you like a little brother. I'm gonna miss you, Ron." James said, his voice breaking.

The sounds of sorrow filled the air as people and two tiny creatures cried over the fallen red ranger. None of them were aware of what was transpiring on a plane different from theirs.

=====

Back in the void…

Byron and the golden knight kept up their fight; their two swords flashed in the blackness of the abyss. Attacking…guarding…two blades clashed in a wild dance of silver in the dark void. The golden knight, who didn't feel fatigue, spoke sternly.

"Your window of return is closing rapidly. After all this time you have learned nothing."

Byron kept fighting with everything he had but, unlike the knight, he was growing fatigued.

"What am I supposed to be learning? How to be cold and heartless? That's not who I am!" Byron shouted.

"You'd be very surprised." The knight commented as he started to grow impatient. "There are only a few moments left before you will not be able to return. And your sword, the manifestation of your soul, is trying to tell you your purpose. Too bad it falls on deaf ears."

"Tell me what?" Byron asked in frustration. He could barely keep up with this sword play for much longer. As the fight wore on, Byron felt a tug at the core of his buried memory. At that moment, his sword vibrated in his hand. It became sentient and spoke to the young man in his mind. Then, something clicked within the red ranger. A moment of realization washed over him as he looked at the knight.

"I know my true purpose." He said seriously, which was a complete 180 for the usually upbeat Byron. The golden knight was silent and held himself still as he waited for the answer he was looking for.

"And that is?"

Byron looked at the knight and, with conviction in his voice, he said...

"My purpose...is to defeat Reapus and restore peace."

"Good." The knight said simply before charging at the red ranger again. With a mighty battle cry, he swung his sword at Byron's head, but…something comes over the young warrior. A second instinct, if you will. Something snaps within the red ranger and he brought his sword to block the knight's blow. This time, his grip is strong and sure. He pushes the knight's sword away with his own and fights off the golden warrior's blows with ease. His face wasn't that of a fresh-faced novice; this was the face of a true red ranger.

=====

Back at the funeral…

The tone, which was solemn, was quickly shattered by streams of red lightning striking the stage causing massive explosions. Mike and the rangers were blown back as the other guests screamed in horror.

"Mike, get everyone away from here!" Commander Stanton ordered.

"Yes, sir!" Mike and some officers led the mourners to safety and once they were all out of sight, James and the rangers stood in front of Byron's casket. All of them were enraged when they saw who had the nerve to interrupt a funeral.

"Guess who's back, suckas!" Arachniture growled as he and an army of grimlings arrived to throw a monkey wrench into the ceremony.

"You got a lot of nerve showing your face again!" Helix snarled.

"Even more nerve to show up uglier than before!" Tacari added, her primal instincts bubbling within her.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, woman!" The large spider sneered. "I was getting sick and tired of all the boo-hooin' jibba jabba goin' on and I came to put a stop to it. If you miss your little friend that bad, I'll be glad to send you to him! Tell him I said hi!"

James face reddened with the bottled up rage he felt and he thought of nothing better than to avenge his friend by destroying Arachniture right here and now.

"You bastard! Now you crossed the line! But since you're here, we can make sure Byron didn't die in vain! **READY!**" James shouted as he pulled out his Stroke Morpher.

**"READY!"** The other shouted following the blue ranger's lead. **"****RIDE****THE****NO****VA!****"**

**"SUPERNOVA! RIDE ON!"**

All five quickly morphed and charged at the powered up spider.

"You ain't got a prayer, fools! 'Cause I'm bringin' the pain!" The spider's eight eyes flashed red as crimson tentacles snaked forward striking the rangers with brutal efficiency. The blast cause by the impact blew them back into Byron's casket. By some miracle, it wasn't knocked over.

"Okay, I think now would be a good time to bring out the big guns!" Jun suggested.

"Good call! **NEBULA BOGEN!****"**

**"CELESTIAL FAN!"******

**"ASTRAL LANCER!"******

**"STAR GRAZER!"******

**"AQUOS HATCHET!"**

five called for their more powerful weapons and, guided by sheer rage, each one launched their attacks which Arachniture deflected easily. The battle wasn't going like they wanted and Arachniture was gaining the upper hand quickly. The massive spider growled and shot bolts of red lightning into the air that landed around the rangers.

"Aw, here it goes! SPECIAL MOVE! VENOM SPINNERS!" An eerie red aura formed around the large spider and two spinning blades of red energy flew towards the five rangers. Huge blasts from the impact bombarded the rangers until they fell to the ground.

"Not good!" Hannah grunted in pain.

"We can't give up!" James stressed as he tried to rally his team to victory, but it seemed hopeless.

=====

Back in the void…

The sword fight between Byron and the golden knight shifted in favor of the red ranger. With a newfound confidence and skill, he managed to parry the golden warrior's blade out of his hand causing it to fly away and land with a clang. Byron then pointed his sword at the knight's throat and spoke.

"Does this answer your question?"

The knight bowed his head and nodded at the young man.

"Indeed it does." He replied acknowledging his defeat. The knight held out his hand and a golden orb of light appeared in the middle of his palm. When the light faded, it revealed a black device with a golden emblem and a small black disc. "This is the Omega Terminal. You will know how to use it when the time comes. When you do, it will bestow upon you powers the likes of which you've never felt. But I must warn you…your true ordeal has only just begun. Will you fight once more?" He asks.

Byron simply nods and the knight places the terminal in his hand before he disappears in a flash of golden light. The red ranger came out of his altered personality and, for the first time in a long time, felt a sense of relief. He pointed the terminal in front of him and a beam of light showed the way out of the void. He took two steps forward and, in an instant, he was gone.

=====

Back on the physical plane, the rangers weren't faring so well. Thanks to Arachniture's increase in power, the rangers were being thrown around like rag dolls. The hulking spider barely put forth any effort in fighting the heroes. Their bodies were strewn across the battle field but they still kept protecting Byron's casket despite being not being able to stand.

"James! It's no use!" Jun groaned. "He's… just too strong."

"I hate to admit it, but he's right." Tacari relented.

"I don't know what else we can do, guys." Hannah said looking to her team.

"What can we do? Nothing we have seems to make a dent in that guy." Helix grunted in pain.

"I-I don't know." James whispered. One by one, the rangers started to lose hope. Just as it seemed they were about to give up entirely, all of their star discs started to glow and ten multicolored beams of light shot into the sky.

"Whoa! What's going on?" Helix asked in shock.

"You're asking me?" James replied as he was also dumbfounded.

"It's beautiful, whatever it is." Hannah said in awe.

The energy combined over Byron's closed casket and from that energy, a brand new morpher was created. It floated in midair before settling inside the red ranger's casket. The event stunned everyone there, including Arachniture and the grimlings.

"Hey! What's with the light show?" Arachniture asked in annoyance.

Everyone waited with baited breath to see what would happen next. As if to reward their patience, a brilliant golden light burst from the closed casket blinding nearly everyone there. Out of the light, walked the figure of a man. It wasn't until the light faded that everyone saw that the figure…was none other than Byron, alive and the picture of health. With his new morpher in hand, he looked to his friends and then to Arachniture before shouting:

**"RIDE THE NOVA!"**

In the blink of an eye, Byron morphs into the red ranger. As he stood there in all his glory, the other rangers slowly stood up.

"I don't believe it. Byron?" Jun whispered.

"Byron… he's…" Hannah began.

"Alive. He actually came back from the dead." Tacari said sounding impressed.

A few minutes passed and their wonder turned to joy as they cheered happily. Byron, never waiving from his personality, waved to his friends.

"Hey, guys! Hope you didn't miss me too much!" You can tell from his voice that his trademark grin was present under his helmet.

"Ron, you haven't changed a bit!" James replied; he, too, had a smile on his face. He also had more unshed tears, but these were tears of joy.

"Byron, you sly dog! You never cease to amaze me!" Helix said with a smirk under his helmet.

"W-w-wait! Guys, you have to check out what I can do!" Byron's child-like behavior shone through as he pulled out the Omega Terminal.

"What's that?" Hannah asked with interest.

"Watch!" The red ranger places the black disc into the terminal and closed it. Holding it out in front of him, he presses the button on top. The golden emblem grew and shot into the sky like a rocket before it formed the image of a robe-like garment. The image burst into hundreds of stars before the shimmering points of light merged onto Byron's body. When the light faded, the red ranger stood in a robe trimmed in gold with and upturned collar and flared tails that reached the ground.

**"BURNING HOTTER THAN THE SUN! OMEGA STRIZER RED!"** Byron shouted. The rangers cheered while Arachniture hid his fear with false bravado.

"You think your new toy can do anything to me, sucka? Bring it on!"

"You asked for it!" Byron said with a casual shrug. He clamped his Omega Terminal onto the hilt of his strider sword and walked towards the large spider. Being the coward he was, he ordered the grimlings to attack. As the red and yellow shogun demons charged, Byron easily fought of the horde of chattering creatures to the delight of his team. As they tried to surround him, Byron jumped into the air and spun out of dodge. When he landed, he swing his sword with a speed he never exhibited before and with one mighty swipe, an arc of red energy cut through the grimlings, destroying them in a ring of fire.

"Yeah! Take it to 'em, Byron!" Hannah cheered. As the red ranger got set to take on a lone Arachniture, the other rangers were struck by a sneak attack from Crescenda.

"You!" James grunted. "What the hell are you doing back here?"

"Come now. You didn't think I'd let that hairy spider have all the fun, did you?" The musical general chuckled evilly. As the others held their swords, Tacari stepped forward.

"NO! This one's mine!" She said in a low voice.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Jun asked. When the pink ranger whipped her head around to face the green one, Jun could feel the death glare she was shooting him through her helmet. "Shutting up, now! She's all yours!" He said quickly as he held up his hands.

"You really think you have what it takes to fight me, little girl?" Crescenda scoffed.

"No…I KNOW I have what it takes!" With that, the pink ranger and Cresenda charged at each other and ensued in what would be known as a cat fight for the ages. Crescenda pulled her hidden blade from the neck of her precious shamisen and used it to attack Tacari. The pink ranger's wild instincts kicked in as she blocked the incoming blade with her own. When she saw that she wouldn't gain the upper hand that way, Crescenda decided to mix in some hand to hand combat, but, that also proved futile. Kicks and sword play was incorporated in their battle dance. It was graceful AND lethal since both fighters were evenly matched in skill and ferocity.

"it seems we are alike in power." Crescenda murmured.

"That's what you think. I'm superior." Tacari shot back.

"We'll see…someday." As quickly as she appeared, she vanished without a trace. As one fight ended, Byron and Arachniture faced off with the red ranger clearly having the advantage. The arachnid was powerless to stop every slash the red ranger laid on him. He tried to launch a counter attack, but Byron flew backwards to evade it.

"Now, I'm mad! VENOM SPINNERS!"

The crimson blades of energy spun at the red ranger, but he easily deflected them with his upgraded strider.

**"STAR DISC ALPHA!"**

Byron placed the disc into the terminal and closed it. He gave the disc a spin and it glowed white hot. The golden emblem spun and the background changed to that of a field with the image of the sun watching the outcome.

**"AURORA BLADE! OMEGA MODE!"** The red ranger shouted. He ran towards Arachniture and with two mighty strokes of his fiery sword, he cut the hulking spider down to size. Blue lightning crackled across Arachniture's body until he fell to the ground; the explosion that followed signalled his demise.

"You did it!" Hannah cheered as she and the others ran to their friend.

"Welcome back, Ron." James said patting his shoulder.

"It's good to be back." Byron replied.

"Don't let your guard down." Tacari reminded. As she expected, a blast of flames shot up and Arachniture grew to towering proportions.

"Yeah, suckas! We're going into Round 3!" He growled. "And I'm bringin' my crew wit' me! Grimlings, dragannons, time to roll out!"

From various cracks, the grimlings and the reptilian henchmen from last time appeared and they were as big as Arachniture. Byron looked up and with a wistful voice, he said:

"I actually missed this! **ALPHA LION!**"

"Same old Byron! **BETA DRAGON!****"**

**"GAMMA TURTLE!"******

**"DELTA BEAR!"******

**"EPSILON MONKEY!"******

**"KAPPA GRAPPLER!"******

**"ZORDS UNITE!"** Byron shouted and the five core zords quickly formed:

**"STRIDER KING MEGAZORD!"**

Helix's Grappler went through its own transformation to form:

**"HELIOS GRAPPLER OMNIZORD!"**

The dragannons opened their mouths and shot fireballs at both megazords making them quickly dodge out of the way.

"HIT THE DECK!" Jun shouted as they dodged. "Whoa! When could they do that?"

"I hope that new gadget of yours has an idea on how to fight that!" Hannah said looking to her leader.

"You know it!" Byron nodded. He pulled out a multicolored disc and locked it into the terminal. Giving it a spin, both megazords gave each other a high five and came apart, ready for a whole new transformation. The two combined in grand fashion to form:

**"HELIOS STRIDER MEGAZORD!"** It stood there in gold armor and held a sword in each hand. Before the grimlings could blink, the golden megazord slahsed its swords, taking them out in one blow.

"It ain't over yet, fools! DRAGO CANNON!" With a dragannon on each side, he shot dual fireballs at the megazord causing major damage.

"We can't keep this up much longer!" Tacari stressed.

"Then let's kick things up a notch! Guys, bring out OUR backup!"

"You got it!" James and Jun shouted. All three brought out their guardian discs and spun them on their hilts. Kafer, Schertfisch and Tiger all appeared ready for battle.

"I gotta get in on this! **IOTA KRAKEN!**"

The massive squid zord came out and joined the guardians in an amazing transformation. The kraken formed a base as the three guardians came together to form a large cannon that rested on the Iota zord.

"Guys, this is our **STRIZER TEMPEST CANNON!**"

"Amazing!" The girls said in stereo.

"It is, but there's a catch. We only get one shot. It takes up a lot of power." Byron replied.

"Then we better not miss." James said seriously. Everyone stood ready as the sites focused on their target.

**"STRIZER TEMPEST CANNON! FIRE!"**

The essence of every zord in their arsenal shot out of the cannon and struck Arachniture and the dragannons ending in a massive explosion that left nothing behind.

"YEAH! We got him!" Helix shouted with excitement. "We're back!"

"And better than ever!" Everyone shouted.

=====

After the fight, everyone walked back to the Command Tower and expressed how happy they were that Byron was back.

"We thought you were…" Hannah gasped.

"Believe me; I thought I was, too." Byron grinned.

"Glad you're back." James said patting his friend on the back.

"Likewise." Jun said.

"Nobody's gonna top that comeback!" Helix chuckled. Byron was enjoying the attention but he soon turned to Tacari who was oddly silent.

"Tacari? You're awfully quiet." Byron said softly.

The jungle woman walked over and, without a word, punched Byron in the jaw.

"Don't you EVER scare me like that again or your next death will be one you won't return from!"

Everyone stood in shock, but soon just chalked it up to the jungle girl's unique display of emotion. Byron held his cheek, but despite the pain, he smiled at her.

"I won't. I promise."

Tacari just nodded at the red ranger as Celeste's voice rang in their minds.

"Well done, rangers." She began. "You have prevailed where others would have buckled. Byron, I am pleased that you have returned to us. For now, rest. With Byron back, Reapus will surely come back stronger as well."

As her voice faded, James looked weirdly at his friends.

"Maybe I'm crazy, but did Celeste sound kinda…odd to anyone else?"

"I think you're just paranoid." Jun said.

"Maybe…" Byron wondered as they all stood outside. Back on Celeste's star, the mentor was happy to have Byron back, but she was uneasy as to how he returned.

"It's not possible…is it?" She thought to herself as she walked to her personal chambers. Over her doorway hung a portrait of a statuesque golden knight.

=====

While the rangers stood outside pondering over Celeste's odd behavior, Mike was in the Command Tower's computer room where he and his guest were tirelessly working on a very important project.

"I'm glad you were able to come to Miranoi to help us." He said to his guest as he looked over the blueprints. "I know it's a long way from Eltar, but I really appreciate your expertise."

"AY YI YI YI YI!" Said the small red and yellow robot. "It was the least I could do, Mike. Oh, I missed the smell of motor oil in the morning."

Mike laughed as he and Alpha set to work on what could be the weapon that could turn the tide in their favor.

"Well, if this works, expects a few dozen cases of the high grade stuff we use." Mike promised.

"Really? Then why are we standing around here for? Let's get to work!" Alpha five said excitedly.

=====

_With the help of Alpha 5, Mike went to work on the rangers' newest weapon in the fight against Reapus. But...will it be enough to deal with what's ahead?_

=====

End of Act 12


	13. Breaking Out

**Chapter 13: Breaking Out**

A calming, serene wave of peacefulness had once again raised its blanket over the planet with the red ranger's return. Full of questions, Byron found himself the storyteller of all. After all... how many people can claim coming back from the dead? Byron explained his experience en masse detail, with a slight feverish touch of excitement.

"Guys! You wouldn't believe it! There I was in this black space, right? Then this flash comes from my left and this big booming voice comes out!" He begins. His friends listened intently, but couldn't understand him. With a chuckle, James held up his hand for a minute.

"Whoaaa... slow down there, tiger. We can't get the whole story if you're hyped up on sugar." He was just teasing him, glad to have him back at all. The brunette blushed.

"Sorry, guys." Byron smiled. "But it's just...wow! Anyway, this hole just opens up and this golden knight walks out of the rip. And this guy was HUGE!"

Hannah looked thoughtful for a minute. "A golden knight? I think I've heard of something similar..." She couldn't place exactly where she remembered it. Helix pressed on,

"Go ahead Byron, what happened next?" The hyped ranger in red nodded and continued his story.

"Well, he goes on and asks me if I wanted to live and why I fought. I told him 'to protect Miranoi and everyone on it...then he attacks me! Nearly chopped my head off!"

Tacari scoffed. "Doesn't sound like an honorable knight if he wants to kill you for that response."

Jun nodded. "I would've thought that response would be good. Why would he try to do something like that?"

"Well..." Byron began. "Apparently he thought that my reason was a lie... something forged in me...or something. He just said I should ask my sword why I REALLY fight. I guess it was his backhanded way of teaching me something."

"Sounds like a psycho... but you're obviously here... so you must've have satisfied him somehow." commented James.

"Yeah... while I was fighting the guy... something... clicked." Byron began. "You're not gonna believe this... but my sword...spoke to me."

"Your sword..."  
"spoke..."  
"to you..."

There was a mix of confusion around the room, each of the rangers echoing what their leader had just uttered. Byron shrugged.

"Yeah. Well...not in actual words like you guys are. It kinda spoke in my head...and heart." Byron said. "When that knight asked me why I fought again, I said 'to defeat Reapus and restore peace.' Then...wow! Next thing I knew, I was giving as much as I was getting. It was like something took over."

James shook his head. "This is sounding more and more like a bizarre episode of 'The Twilight Zone'... so then, you must have won and were revived... and the rest is pretty much history."

"Yeah... After I beat him, he gave me the terminal and...poof. I came back. And I've been feeling great since then. Like my old self."

Celeste was in the corner, wondering to herself what this all meant. She could only surmise who the golden knight was, but she had a very good guess... Noticing her lack of participation in this conversation, Tacari slipped a question to the radiant woman.

"Celeste, you have been very quiet." She commented. Celeste picked her head up and looked at Tacari for a few seconds before saying,

"Oh... it's nothing. Byron's story just seemed curious to me, as it is to yourselves."

Tacari just nodded, but something told her that their mentor wasn't being entirely truthful.

***************************************************************

Meanwhile... the mood in the lake wasn't as jovial. Coming off their recent defeat, Reapus raged and almost killed them all, had Crescenda not been there to calm him down with her song. Meditating deep in the bowels of the ship's hull, he went to his quarters. As such, his minions, and the ever-scheming Shadius were still inside above in the main room. With a sly smile, Shadius proclaimed,

"HmmMhhhmmm. Seems Reappy-boy is in anguish. I suppose I should be grateful he didn't destroy the ship! He was so livid after that fiasco."

"Indeed." Kalamax said simply. The last thing he wanted to hear from Shadius was an "I told you so."

As if reading his mind, Shadius laughed a bit. He whispered to Kalamax. "By the way, my dear chap, have you thought about my lovely suggestion?"

Kalamax looked to Shadius and whispered back. "Although, I would never betray Lord Reapus in such a way, showing him his folly in entrusting Crescenda with such tasks would be satisfying." Shadius grinned and stroked that weakness of his.

"Exactly, my dear boy. And I can help you... Reappy-boy is in a sour mood right now. But I'm sure if you can kill a ranger and make sure they STAY dead,... he will reward you with bounds of praise and all the wealth your heart desires."

Kalamax smirked at the idea. "I may have something that can do the trick." He thought of it for a moment. "It seems red is out of the question... so then... how about yellow? She seems like the weak link in that chain." Shadius clapped his hands.

"Excellent! If you prod that kink in the chain, I'm sure the others will follow. I suppose you have a minion in mind for this?" Kalamax nodded.

"As a matter of fact, I do." With a twirl of his staff, Kalamax pointed towards the water. A swirl of energy mixed with it, creating a metamorphic fluid body. Soon however, thick skin covered over it, Its dark skin was covered by many fistfuls of red hair. Covering itself was an exoskeleton of what seemed to be a shark, with various teeth sticking out. Kalamax nodded approvingly.

"Ahh, Twixic! Just the one I need. His... condition will confuse those ranges so badly, they won't know what hit them!"

"Condition?" Shadius inquired.

"'stwixic,that'swithtwo"i's",heywhat'sthat?Ohlookthere'saflyinmys hoe!" He hopped in place. Kalamax bowed. Shadius placed a hand over his chin thoughtfully.

"Seems like an unorthodox choice. We will see how this plays out then..."

Kalamax looked at his newest protege. "Twixic, go whip those rangers into confusion. make them not able to think straight. Be sure to focus on yellow. She's the weak link." Twixic shook his head from side to side, as if to wonder what exactly he meant.

"Yellow?Beessting!Nevermin dIdon'tlikethecoloryellow...whatwasIsayingagain?"  
Kalamax just shook his head. It seems he picked the right monster to mess with the rangers' heads. Lord knows it was messing with his.

"Yes, yes, perfect...now spread your confusion! Far FAR away from here!" The red hedgehog saluted him.

"Getchagotchagood!" He spun around like a mini-tornado and flew away, making a visible trail through the water. Shadius as curious.

"...Your minions intrigue me."

"I'm sure they do. I think I have a headache just listening to him talk a million words a second." Kalamaz said holding his head.

******************************************************

On the top side of things... the rangers had been dismissed from their duties and thus, life returned to normal for the five warriors. Of course... things never stay that way. Grading papers was never fun for any teacher, and Hannah was no different. Her eyes were heavy. The past few days had been tiring. She continued tirelessly and pressed on. There was a light knock at the door. She looked up and called,

"It's open." The door slid open and, once Hannah had a good look at her visitor, her pen dropped. A sudden fire burned in her chest as she stared at this mysterious gentleman. He was tall, a distinguished and refined gentleman, yet young looking. You'd never guess his age from looks alone. As if she had venom curdling in her mouth, she spat out,

"Papa?" She asked with a frown, "What the hell are you doing here?"

Her father shook his head. "I realize you don't have the best image of me. But I am your father and it's about time I started acting like it."

"You should have acted like a father BEFORE you abandoned us 12 years ago." Hannah said with a glare.

He hardened his expression. "There are some harsh decisions you have to make and I made one of those decisions. I know you don't understand it now, but I made that choice for the both of you."

Hannah just shook her head, refusing to look at her father. "Why do I think you left more for your sake instead of ours?" She thought bitterly. "Well... you're here. But I'm afraid I have papers to grade." She had hoped that by ignoring him, he'd leave quicker.

He continued, his tone still somewhat even. "One of the reasons why I'm here Hana, is that I want us to get closer... where it's safe. You are coming back to earth with me. No exceptions."

She dropped some of her papers and looked up at her father, having some trouble with processing what he just said.

"What? If you haven't noticed, father, I have a job here. A life. I made a commitment to these kids!"

"And I'm sure you did a wonderful job. But they can make do without you."

"That's not your call to make!" Hannah hissed. "Father or not, I'm an adult, which means you don't make decisions for me anymore."

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice in the matter. My decision is final. Your things are being packed as we speak."

Hannah gasped in horror. How dare he just swoop in and expect them to be one big happy family when they were anything but.

"I don't believe you! Not only do you just come in unannounced, you uproot me from a life I love WITHOUT MY PERMISSION! "I'm not going back with you...FATHER! And what reason do you have for doing this anyway?"

He couldn't particularly answer this, so he tried to be discreet. "It's in your best interest. Like everything else I've done up till now."

Hannah stifled a fake laugh. "Like you ever cared about my best interest. You just want me to be your little trained poodle. Or better yet, a nice trophy to show off to your business associates."

"That isn't true!" He started to raise his tone warningly. Hannah just looked at her father with growing contempt.

"Tell me another fairy tale...father." After placing emphasis on that last word, with that, she left in a huff out of the room. The only thing she was thankful for was that today was the children's day off from school.

Her father looked down, his gaze meeting a carelessly ditched piece of paper under a desk. Picking it up, he sighed. It was a crayon picture of a family. Certainly one of the lower grades most of forgotten it. He dusted it off and left it on her desk, walking out...

***********************************************************

Being a grown monster-child, Twixic went to the one place any kid would want to go... the amusement park. Once he landed, he split his attention into hundreds of directions.

"Ohmylookatalltherides 'snotgoodbutIsoooooowantto!" Going insane over all the sights he saw, the hedgehog spun around in circles, sweeping up the surrounding people and tossing them into walls and concrete.

Screams of pain and panic filled the air in the park, leading to the disturbance setting off the alarms at the Command Tower.

"Sir!" One officer shouted as he ran in, hoping to alert Mike of the news. Mike shook his head and said quickly,

"I know soldier. I'm on it." He dismissed the soldier to a nearby station and placed his headphones in. "Attention rangers, we have a disturbance in the Parque du Amuse. Looks like something's stirring up trouble again."

The rangers all replied and answered positively... except for one. Mike noticed the Yellow Morpher did not respond.

"Hannah? Come in!" He shouted. "Hannah!"

Hannah herself, unfortunately, was walking along the pier, miles from the park. Her mind and eyes were focused towards the sea, making her oblivious to the morpher ringing in her bag.

"Great! Rangers, I'm working on getting in touch with Hannah. Can you hang on till then?" Mike asked.

"Not a problem! Just sit back relax, and enjoy the show!" said a confident Byron.

****************************************************

Meanwhile, Twixic was busy... tearing about the park. He set his eyes onto the large, and highly packed, Ferris Wheel.

"~!" He flew towards it at rapid speeds, hoping to join in on the fun. The people on the wheel scream in panic thinking they were about to die, some of which were already saying their farewell prayers.

"Aurora Blade!" A jet of red light went smashing into the monster, who wheeled in mid-air and flew backwards.

"Sorry, pal! you must be THIS SANE to ride this ride!" James piped in. Twixic rubbed his head as he responded quickly,

"Iamsane!I'' mommytellyouyou'respecial?No?HA!"

Helix tilted his head. "Um...did anyone else catch that? Tacari, you speak...whatever it is you speak. Can you understand him?"

"Dude... whatever he said, it ain't Miranoian... I know." Jun commented.

"It's like he's speaking at some intense speed." corrected Tacari.

"ADD much? Byron coming down off a cookie dough ice cream bender didn't talk that fast." James joked.  
Twixic hummed a bit and then said,  
"Icecream?ILOVEICECREAM!It'!NowIwanticecream !"

"Okay, let's take this guy down already!" Helix groaned. "I'm getting a headache just LISTENING to him." Byron nodded.

"Gotcha. Blades at the ready!" commanded Byron.

Everyone nodded and got their blades ready... Too bad it wasn't going to do any good

Twixic may be alot of things.. but stupid wasn't one of them. He noticed the swords drawn at him. "Nononope!" He spun at fierce velocities and shot past them, breaking their formation.

The rangers fell from their positions and tossed into different directions. Clutching his head, Byron asked, clearly confused,

"Uh...how'd that happen?"

"If I were to wager a guess... that guy's got some good speed." deposited Jun.

"No, duh, Sherlock!" James shot back at Jun.

"Be careful. His speed is blinding both physically and mentally." Tacari warned.

Byron shook his head. "Hey guys don't sweat it. Now's a good time to bust out our secret weapon." He reached his hand out and shouted, "Omega Terminal!"... Nothing happened.

Everyone looked at Byron... "Omega Terminal!"... Still nothing. Byron looked confused at his hand. "What the...?"

"Ron, NOW'S not a good time for battery failure!" James shouted.

Byron kept on looking between his hand and James while answering, "I dont' know what's going on! It worked fine yesterday! You all saw it!" The monster ran through them again, whirling them around like dolls.

"AAAAAAAAHHH" They all screamed. The five of them were sent flying to different regions of the park. Byron was thrown into the dunk tank, James, was tangled up in the tea cups, helix found his way in the path of bumper cars, Jun was in the concession stands dripping in mustard and ketchup and Tacari was bombarded with stuffed animals after crashing into the midway games section. Twixic smiled and said aloud,

"Funttimesfuntimes~!"

*************************************************************

"Well well. Twixic seems to be doing quite well against the rangers." Kalamax said in satisfaction.

Shadius agreed, fanning himself with the golden trinket he held. "And yet... our target is strangely absent... I wonder what happened there?"

"I'll send the Grimlings to find her." Kalamax replied. "Grimlings! Find the Yellow Ranger...and dispose of her." Shadius covered his face with the fan and said lowly,

"Pfft... you can't trust those bumbling bozos to do anything. And Dragannons are hard to breed anyhow... that move of Reappy boy left us at a disadvantage pawn wise..." Shadius discussed with himself. However, he did agree that the Yellow Ranger was the priority.

"I suppose you have a better idea?" Kalamax spat back.

"Not at the moment, no. Go ahead and send them. But send a good number of them. If we can't beat quality, we'll just drown her in quantity."  
"You heard him!" Kalamax ordered. The masses of Grimlings raised their swords and teleported away.

**************************************************************

At the pier... the scenic river seemed like a decent place for Hannah to calm her nerves. It wasn't helping any. She began to brood over everything that had happened.

"...Why did he come back into my life? Mom and I were happy without him." Hannah sighed. "He's made a mess of everything."

The river ebbed and flowed slowly, not at all representing herself. Next to her, a tiny flower was blooming on the edge. Overshadowing it was a giant weed, taking its sunlight. Hannah looked at the flower and saw herself in the tiny blossom. The weed was much like her father, dictating every aspect of her life, an unwanted oppressor.

"If only..." She began. She took the weed and plucked it, allowing the small one to see the sun again. "There you go, little one." She smiled.

She looked to the sky and said aloud, "I wish my problem could be fixed as easily." She began to stare out again. "...I'm going to have to tell the others... but I don't know how I could..." She began to get more upset by the minute. She looked down, wondering what she should do...

Before she could compose her thoughts however, the unmistakable sound of chattering demons snapped her out of her pensive state.

"Fantastic!" She groaned. Instinctively, she reached for her morpher, but by then it was too late, the Grimlings took her hand and wrenched it from her back, letting the whole thing fall to the floor.

"AAH! LET ME GO!" She screamed as she struggled to break free.  
The Grimlings held her fast while their companions came closer with the swords and lances. It was going to be a bloody afternoon today. Hannah frantically struggled but it was no use. She closed her eyes and screamed, preparing for the worst. The Grimling in front of her snarled and thrusted the sword towards her chest.

There was no impact. In fact... there was no pain at all. Hannah was hesitant but then opened her eyes. In front of her, holding onto the blade with a reddened and bruised hand, was her father.

"Papa?" She gasped in surprise. The older man nodded.

"You may not think of me as a father... you may not even think of me as a person with a heart... But I'll be damned if anyone lays a hand on my own flesh and blood!" He pushed the Grimling with force and made it trip backwards. He grabbed onto Hannah's arm and threw her to the side. "Run Hana!" He turned away from her and rushed the Grimlings, pushing most of them, and himself, off the side of the pier.

"PAPA!" She screamed, forgetting that she had hatred for him. The remaining Grimlings took to looking over the ledge, to see what had transpired. Hannah was on the floor, knees bent. For some reason, her tears wouldn't stop. "Why?... WHY DID YOU BOTHER TO COME BACK IF YOU WERE GOING TO DIE?" She couldn't fathom why she was crying. It was pretty clear she didn't like the man. But somewhere deep inside, that final act wrung through her like nothing else.

"..." Hannah was silent as she reached into her bag.

"-nah, do you respond? Hannah! There's trouble!" Hannah pulled out her morpher just in time to hear Mike.

"I'm here, Mike. What's the trouble?"

Mike blew a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. The others need some backup controlling a very disturbed hedgehog."

"Give me the coordinates." Hannah responded, now in world-saving mode.

Mike stopped for a second. Hannah didn't seem like herself. "Are you okay Hannah?"

Hannah sighed before answering. "I'm fine. Just had to do something."

"Okay... coordinates sent."

"I'm on my way." Hannah flipped her stroke morpher and shouted,

"RIDE THE NOVA!" But instead of her comet flying down as usual, a great darkness had settled over her, closing around her like a doom. She looked around and felt her adrenaline go up. She shouted into the blackness,

"Who's there?" she called out. A golden radiance flashed from above her. She put up her hands as if to block it. A soft light touched her and she slowly opened her eyes. An orb of light had appeared in front of her. Curious, she stepped towards it, something in her head ticking. A deep voice called for her.

"Warrior of the Yellow Star... the time has come. Unleash your storming fury upon the enemy." For a brief moment, a shadow of an armored figure was in the orb, which reminded Hannah vaguely of a knight... Knight...

"Wait! You're-!" The orb disappeared, dropping a black box into her hands. She turned it over in her hands and her eyes widened. The voice called to her,

"Use it well." The darkness lifted and... Hannah found herself in front of the amusement park, fully morphed to boot. She glanced at her hand, which held the small terminal. She shook her head and ran towards the fight.

******************************************************

Recovering from their own little humiliation, the four rangers regrouped themselves. Tacari joined the guys, wearing a death glare under her helmet as a frail hugging toy clamped itself onto her helmet. "If I hear so much as a chuckle from any of you, I'm exposing your vital organs to daylight!" She warned as she ripped the toy off of her helmet. The guys weren't exactly in a humorous mood at the moment, so that wasn't a bad thing. The evil hedgehog chuckled. This felt like a bad game for him. He started to spin again, until...

"Aurora Blade, Spin!" A twirling yellow blur of energy shot towards the monster, which was spinning in the opposite direction it was. It held off the monster and slowed it down enough for it to get dizzy.

"!" He said quickly, his footing lost. Hannah ran to the others, her sword drawn.

"Hannah! Glad to see you made it!" Byron said happily. Jun was about to respond as well, but Helix cut him off.

"Yeah, I... WE were worried about you." He blushed. Jun gritted his teeth. Hannah shook her head.

"Thanks, guys... but I think it's about time we show this spoiled hedgehog who the fastest thing alive is." She held the terminal up. Byron stared at her, mouth gaping open.

"Where'd you get that?" Hannah answered shortly,

"Talk later!" she called over her shoulder as she pressed the button. The golden emblem grew and shot into the sky like a rocket before it formed the image of a robe-like garment. The image burst into hundreds of stars before the shimmering points of light merged onto Hannah's body. When the light faded, the Yellow Ranger stood in a robe trimmed in gold with and upturned collar and flared tails that reached the ground.

"FIERCE AS A MOUNTAIN STORM! OMEGA STRIZER YELLOW!" Hannah shouted. Her past emotions of her father fueled her blade as she ran towards the monster. Helix unsheathed his sword again.

"If it's a battle of speed he wants, let me join in!" He turned into a blur and ran alongside the superpowered ranger. Twixic started to spin again, this time at max speeds.

"I'lltakeyouguysoutsupereasy!" He propelled himself towards them. Hannah was prepared this time however. Taking a cue, she fell forward and pushed her sword against the wind, as if slicing it. Connecting with the earth under her, she moved along with the planet, as if revolving with it in intense speed. She matched his speed and both of them battled for control. She struggled for a moment, but then, as if from nowhere, a bullet from above them shot the monster so precisely, it slowed down his spin.

"Aggggggghhh!" The monster started to slow down. Hannah took advantage of this and slammed her sword through the monster. He stopped spinning and rolled onto the ground, catching his footing. Jumping over her, Helix ran at high speed and called out,

"Shooting Star Barrage!" he disappeared, replacing himself with hundreds of golden and silver slashes and clanks, slicing through the monster. He reappeared behind him and thumbed up. "Finish it up Hannah!" She nodded. She opened the terminal and placed the disc unto it. It called out,

"STAR DISK EPSILON!" She posed her blade, a hurricane of terran energy gathering into it. As if sliding across the surface, she raised her sword and slammed into the monster, calling out,

"Aurora Blade: OMEGA MODE!" She slipped into a cyclone-like spin and slashed through the chest of the monster numerous times before completely tearing through him. He cried out in pain as fell to the ground and exploded. Waiting for the eventual revival, the rangers had their zords at the ready... but nothing happened. Looking confused, the others ran to Hannah.

"That was awesome Hannah!" said Helix, placing an arm over her. Jun scooted himself between them and blushed.

"Yeah... that was cool." She felt warmed that they cared, but the lack of a giant monster bothered her. Tacari, being the most trained of the group started to look around until she noticed the roof she pointed up.

"Looks like we had a shy friend today." Everyone looked up just in time to see a slightly magenta-clad figure turn around and leave. His scheme was black and his eyes were as shining as emeralds. He was gone before they could call out to him. Hannah felt strange about the masked hero. Byron tilted his head.

"I wonder who that is..." James shook his head.

"I guess he's our ally. We can't be sure at this point..."

Helix commented as well. "Hmm... his weapon must have interfered with the Styxerian anatomy. That's why our friend didn't grow today." The others were theorizing about this, but Hannah left the group. She needed some time to think. Bringing his head up, Jun followed her. She demorphed, the terminal disappearing from her hands in a golden light. She started to cry again... not knowing what was wrong, Jun went to her and held her close. It was enough to be there for her...

TO BE CONTINUED...

-

_Looks like the rangers have a new ally in the wings! And just who is this mysterious figure that shows himself to the rangers? All this and more are awaiting in the next installment of POWER RANGERS GALAXY STRIDERS!_

=====

End of Act 13


	14. Shadows of the Past, Pt I

**Chapter 14: Shadows of the Past-Part 1**

After their dizzying battle with Twixic, the six rangers had gone their separate ways and bedded down for the night. All were enjoying a peaceful slumber after their whirlwind beatdown; all…except a certain green ranger. The dormitory room he called home echoed with grunts and distressed moans as Jun fought a harrowing battle in his mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

_A vast expanse of land just outside the banks of Mari Lake-this is where a fierce battle is taking place. On one side is a confident Lord Reapus; on the other, six rangers embattled to the point of exhaustion. The uniforms worn by Byron and his teammates, the ones forged by the stars themselves, were tattered and torn from the intense blows delivered by Reapus. Fatigue and despair were setting with the multicolored heroes as the crimson demon scourge looked upon his quarry._

"Well, well, well." Reapus muttered as he spied his fallen foes. "You six have been a thorn in my side for far too long. Now, it's time I take my rightful place as supreme ruler of this dominion!"

"That's not gonna happen! We won't let it!" Byron shouted as he used his strider to pick himself up off the ground. He stood in front of his friends as an example to keep fighting when all hope seemed lost. And in this case…all hope WAS lost.

"We shall see about that, Red Ranger! You shall be the first to fall by my hand!"

"Guys, I know we can do this!" Byron said reassuringly.

"I don't know if we can. Reapus is much stronger!" Hannah replied worriedly.

"Maybe he is, but we can't quit!" The red ranger urged.

"He's right! The planet needs us!" Tacari agreed.

"I'm with you, guys! If we die, we die with honor." Jun nodded.

"How about we leave out the dying part?" Helix asked slightly joking.

Jun just looked at him as if he grew antlers.

"You break out your rapier wit, even in the face of death, huh?" Jun asked the gold ranger.

"I'm nothing if not consistent." Helix smirked under his helmet.

"Enough talk!" Reapus' eyes glow an eerie yellow as he used inhuman speed to charge at the rangers. The six rangers valiantly fight but their efforts are quickly proving futile. With sword drawn, he thrusts it at Byron's chest. The blade comes out of the red ranger's back as blood dripped to the scorched ground below much to the horror of the others.

_**"BYRON!"**_

"NOOOO!"__

Time seemed to stand still as Reapus impaled the young ranger with his sword. Byron's body convulsed before it finally went limp. The strider blade fell from his hand and hit the ground. Reapus brought his skewered body up to his face and sneered into Byron's visor as if he was still alive.

"Say hello to the Galaxy Rangers for me." He snarled in a low voice as he slid his lifeless body off of his blade. Byron's body shone with a red aura as his uniform vanished. His body followed as it dissolved into starlight. The points of light rose to join the twinkling lights that watch over Miranoi. A mix of emotions washed over the remaining rangers: anger, hatred, grief. Byron had come back from the dead not too long ago only to be killed again. As despair multiplied within the rangers, a blinding light engulfed the battlefield. The light condensed and took shape until Celeste's form was revealed.

"Byron…" She whispered before she locked eyes with her long-time nemesis. "Reapus! You won't succeed in your evil plans!" Celeste warned. "Even without their leader, these rangers are strong enough to stop you!"

"Ah! My dear Celeste. How good of you to come." Reapus greeted sarcastically. "I'm afraid you're too late to witness the end of your red ranger, but you're welcome to watch the others' demise…AND YOUR OWN!"

"If you think we're letting you lay one hand on Celeste, you're nuts!" James shouted as he held his blade tightly in his hand. He had lost his best friend again, but this time, he would avenge his death.

"And what do you plan on doing about it, blue ranger?" Reapus asked. "Your leader is no more."

Tacari stepped forward and stood next to James, joining him in a united front.

"We fight on! Until our last breath… WE FIGHT ON!"

"You tell 'em, Tacari!" Hannah yelled as she joined the pink and blue rangers.

"She's got cajones! I'll give her that." Helix said as he stood with the others.

Jun watched as his friends stood together in a last ditch effort to save Miranoi and the universe itself. At that moment, he was prouder than he'd ever been of his friends.

"Let's do this…For Byron!"

_**"FOR BYRON!"**__ They all shouted as James led the charge._

Reapus let out a guttural growl as he charged into the fray. As the five remaining rangers brought their blades up to strike the crimson demon, Reapus brought his to block all the swords from landing a strike.

"Nice try. Now allow me to show you how it's done!" Energy radiated through his blade as he swung it in a circle knocking everyone back. The force of the blow was enough to knock a mere mortal unconscious, but there weren't mere mortals. With the rage of losing Byron a second time coursing through their veins, they stand up and rush in for another round. James led the charge as he shouted,

"_**NEBULA BOGEN!**__ THIS IS FOR BYRON, YOU SON OF A B!TCH!"_

He fired of flurry of shimmering blue arrows, but they were all deflected easily by Reapus' powerful sword. Seeing how reckless the blue ranger was, he waited for him to get within ranger.

"Yes, come to me." He thought with malice in his heart. When James got too close, Reapus drove his sword into the ground, grabbed James by the head and quickly twisted it until his neck snapped. James was dead before he even hit the ground.

"You weren't worthy enough to taste my blade." He said as he spat on his body. As with Byron, James powered down and his body dissolved into starlight before floating into the sky. He pulled his sword from the ground and waited for the next unlucky soul.

_**"NOOOOO! JAMES!"**__ Tacari let out a primal scream as she spun the disc on her sword hilt. "__**AURORA BLADE!**__**Oehw N'I fnod itiw voy, freht u'now fb iguone ufel sof ttoggam pt usaef oopu!"**__ She shouted as she engaged in a heated bout of sword play with the red demon._

_**"TACARI!"**__ Jun shouted. He didn't want her to meet the same fate as James and Byron and he tried to rush to her aid. He looked down at his feet and discovered that he couldn't move. "Wha-what's going on?" It was like someone had glued his feet to the ground._

As Jun tried to make sense of it all, the pink amazon called on all of her primal instincts and took the fight to Reapus as much as she could.

"I'll have your head for that!" She snarled as she sliced and slashed at her greatest foe. When she brought her blade down, Reapus caught it with one hand and pulled her close to him.

"Such a wild spirit. A pity; you would have made a suitable queen." With one last sneer, he thrust his hand through her chest and pulled out her still beating heart. "On second thought, eating this should infuse me with your savagery."

_**"TACARI!"**__ Helix, Hannah and Jun shouted as the pink ranger's lifeless corpse fell backwards. Her uniform vanished and she, too, returned to the stars._

"Mmmm, spicy!" Reapus taunted after he devoured Tacari's heart in front of the remaining rangers. He licked his fingers to further goad them. It may have been 3 against one to the untrained eye, but the crimson scourge of the universe clearly had the advantage.

"We can't let him get to Celeste. No matter what!" Helix ordered taking the leadership role. "If we go down, at least she'll be able to find others to continue on."

Hannah grasped her strider tightly. Inside, she was a mass of nerves. She had just witnessed three of her friends lose their lives at the hands of Reapus. She thought back to her father; though she still held bitterness towards him, she remembered the sacrifice he made to save her. Now, it was time for her to do the same.

"This is for my friends, the universe…_**AND MY FATHER!**__"_

The yellow ranger, Star Grazer in hand, ran in and managed to strike a blow to Reapus' chest, much to everyone's surprise. Unfortunately, that would be her first and last assault against the red menace. Seemingly unimpressed by her bravado, he brought up his sword and, with one mighty slash, he separated Hannah's head from her shoulders.

_**"HANNAH!"**__ Helix and Jun shouted in rage and horror._

"She actually struck me." Reapus chuckled sinisterly. "That's more than any of the others managed to do."

Both the head and the body demorphed before breaking up into thousands of points of light. The starry form of Hannah floated to the atmosphere to join the red, blue and pink rangers. Jun's hands shook as he watched her life end in the blink of an eye. Helix…his outrage took a more proactive route.

"Hannah…" He whispered as he slowly raised his head to shoot death glares at Reapus. He grabbed his Aquos Hatchet and he seemed to glow. "I'll avenge you. _**I'LL AVENGE YOU ALL! **__**SHOOTING STAR BARRAGE!**__"_

"As these young ones say 'BRING IT ON!'" Reapus challenged.

As expected, Helix moved at the speed of light as he battled with the one who had taken four friends away from him. What wasn't expected was the fact that Reapus matched him move for move and stroke for stroke. Parries and thrusts were given and blocked by both combatants with neither of them gaining an advantage. That is until…

"If you miss your precious yellow ranger so badly, you can join her!" He brought his blade up and swung it down like a massive guillotine. With great force, Helix was cleaved in half. As with the others, his suit disappeared before his mutilated body dissolved into thousands of stars.

_**"HELIX! NO!"**__ Jun shouted as the points of light wafted into the night sky._

"And then, there was one." Reapus taunted as he slow walked towards the lone green ranger. Jun stood protectively in front of Celeste as he held his sword in front of him.

"Jun; run! Save yourself!" Celeste ordered.

"No! Helix was right. You're the only one who can find others to take up our cause. I have to protect you!" Jun said as he stood his ground.

"How noble. How righteous. HOW PATHETIC!" Reapus shouted. "You're more naïve than the red ranger if you think you can defeat me on your own! But, if you really wish to join your comrades, far be it from me to ignore your wishes!"

The red scourge ran full force at Jun and Celeste with his sword drawn for the final epic strike. He was just yards away from them when a beam of brilliant light descended from on high. Reapus was thrown back and the light blinded him.

_**"AHHHHHH! IT CAN'T BE!"**__ In an instant, he vanished leaving Jun and Celeste alone. The green ranger looked at the beam of light and vague memories of a time long forgotten started to flood his mind and… he could swear he saw a faint figure stepping out from the brilliance._

"Who… who are you?" He asked in a shushed voice.

Before he could get an answer, the light's brightness intensified to the point where Jun was unable to see even with the tinted visor of his helmet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back in the dormitory, Jun sat up in his bed like a shot. His eyes were wide and he was sweating profusely. His breathing was heavy as he recalled every moment of his nightmare. He thanked his lucky stars that he had a solo room.

"What the-" He gasped. His dream was so vivid, he was sure it was more than just a dream. And what about those strange images he saw when the light saved them. He had so many questions, he was unable to go back to sleep.

"I have to talk to someone about this." He whispered to himself. He knew there was only one person who could shed some light, so to speak. He just hoped this Q&A didn't leave him with more Q's than A's.

=====

On Reapus' vessel, things were also in a state of unrest. Reapus heard about the unauthorized use of one of his monsters to battle the rangers and was more furious about someone going over his head than the fact that Twixic was defeated.

"UNBELIEVABLE! It's bad enough he was beaten, but he was beaten by ONE RANGER! And of all the rangers to destroy him, it was YELLOW! HE DIDN'T EVEN GET THE CHANGE TO GROW AND GET BEATEN!" Reapus growled as he threw his red bowl at the wall just missing Kalamax's head. "WHO! Who sent that sorry excuse for a hedgehog into battle without my permission? He shouldn't have been allowed to do laundry, let alone fight!"

Kalamax, strangely, kept silent during his master's rants. Crescenda played her beloved shamisen during the tirade. She had nothing to do with the Twixic fiasco, but she was anxious to see who was responsible.

"Reappy-boy! Don't get your panties in a knot!" Shadius said jokingly. "So, Twixic was better suited for ADD commercials. At least we're rid of him. Got rid of some dead weight."

"That doesn't change the fact that someone thought it was a good idea to go behind my back!" Reapus growled. "I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if you sent that jittery reject out."

"Moi? I wouldn't associate myself with such subpar talent." Shadius said as he fanned himself. The crimson lord looked to Crescenda and shook his head. He knew she wouldn't send out someone like Twixic. That wasn't her style. He then looked to Kalamax.

"You wouldn't happen to know how this happened, do you?"

"N-n-no, my Lord!" Kalamax stammered. "I have no idea. It was a gross oversight by whoever allowed that to take place."

"Indeed it was." He snarled. "If I find out who had the audacity to go over my head, I don't care who it is, THEIRS WILL BE MOUNTED ON MY WALL!" Reapus threatened as he went back to his quarters.

"Ouch. Roid rage, ahoy!" Shadius snickered as he pulled Kalamax off to the side. When he was sure they were out of Crescenda's range of hearing he whispered. "You got off easy, Kally-boy. I think you should take a powder before you try that again."

"I do admit that Twixic was a poor choice. Looking back on it, I should have picked someone more capable." Kalamax reluctantly agreed. If he was going to show Reapus what he could do, he had to be smarter about it.

"Water under the bridge, my boy." Shadius nodded. "Why don't you go over your strategies a bit more? I have some business to attend to."

"What business?" Kalamax asked.

"That's none of YOUR business. Now, shoo!" He ordered. When the squid-headed aide left, Shadius fanned himself as he thought of his next plan of attack.

_"I'm so close to finding the Heart. So close, I can taste it."_ He thought to himself. "Shady-boy, it's time to bring out the big guns!"

A chuckle rang through the ship as the water outside mysteriously grew hotter.

=====

The next morning, Jun told Mike that he had something important to take care of and needed the day off. When Mike granted him the time off, Jun went to Celeste's star, anxious to find some answers. He walked through the crystalline chamber and found Celeste meditating. Her eyes were closed but she could still sense the presence of someone in her midst.

"Green Ranger." She said quietly as her eyes remained closed. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I had a nightmare last night and…" He began. He wasn't entirely sure how to ask her about this. "…and I believe it was more than just a bad dream. I think it was a vision. During it, I got these flashes of memories. They were vague but… somehow… I know they were some kind of message. I guess what I'm asking is where are these memories coming from and why am I getting them?"

Celeste slowly opened her eyes to look at the green ranger, but quickly averted her gaze.

"I'm afraid I don't have any answers for you." She said simply. "Please, leave."

Jun looked at her weirdly and stepped forward. Though he could only see her eyes, he could tell she was hiding something.

"I know that's not true, Celeste." He challenged. "Why won't you tell me anything? Maybe if I told you what happened in my dream…"

"Ranger!" She interrupted. "There is nothing to be gained from looking backwards. You'll do best to remember that." With those words, she turns away from him and leaves her chamber.

"Well, that helped." He said to himself, his statement dripping with sarcasm. "Well, Jun, it looks like you're on your own."

In a flash, he beamed back down to Miranoi and stood near the outskirts of the jungle Tacari called home. Something in his gut told him that if he wanted answers, he had to go deeper into the untamed part of the planet than anyone has ever traveled.

"Well, our team comes here all the time. Today, I'm flying solo." He said to himself as he got psyched up. He began his journey by moving vines and large leaves out of his way. The foliage in this part of the jungle was thick and Jun was thinking he should have brought a machete, but thought better of it.

"If I did that, Tacari would use the machete on me." He murmured to himself.

"Yes, I would." A voice from behind agreed, scaring the bejeezus out of the green ranger.

"AAAAH!" Jun ran forward and smacked into a tree that was just a few inches from him. The force nearly knocked him out and now he moved like he was drunk. "Medic!" He squeaked like a little mouse.

The voice belonged to none other than Tacari who was leaning against another tree. Seeing her teammate ram into something that a blind man could navigate through made her shake her head.

"Are you alright?" She asked slightly interested.

Jun looked towards the source of the voice and shook his head.

"I'll let you know when I stop seeing five of you." He said dizzily. Jun shook his head quickly until his vision righted itself. "Okay, I'm good."

"What are you doing in this part of the jungle? Even the construction workers are too scared to venture this far." She asked.

Jun wondered if it was a good idea to let the pink amazon in on the dream he had last night.

"Let's just say I'm on a fact finding mission." He said vaguely. In a way, he was telling the truth…kinda.

Tacari looked into Jun's eyes and she could tell that he wasn't lying to her but, at the same time, she wasn't getting the whole truth, either. Jun figured she sensed something and decided to interject.

"It's something I have to do alone. No offense."

"None taken. But know this…" Tacari jumped onto a large branch and looked down at the green ranger. "In this jungle, you're never completely alone."

She swung through the jungle canopy leaving Jun to figure out what she meant.

"What did she mean by…"

He was interrupted by the sounds of the jungle animals around him.

**"Okay! Pressing on!"** He shouted as he quickly ran forward. He recognized this stretch of the jungle as the one his archeology team often visited. Here were some of the ancient ruins he and his team were excavating and this was where he found some of the tablets scribbled in Tacari's language. Beyond the ruins was a dense forest. Jun always looked at it and wondered if those trees were there to hide something even more extraordinary. He didn't deny that the jungle had secrets it wanted to keep…secret. But being a man of knowledge, his curiosity got the better of him.

_"I might get eaten by something, but this vision is killing me. I have to find out what it means."_ He thought as he trudged through the thick foliage. There was something creepy about this part of the jungle; almost…alive. Jun sensed something was watching him but had no idea if it was a creature…or the forest itself. He traveled a good distance away from the ruins until he arrived at a remote location. There was a clearing in the middle of the dense forest that had dozens of stone pillars and in the middle was a massive stone temple sitting atop mossy steps.

"No frickin' way!" Jun whispered as he eyed the great structure. "Oh, I HAVE to check this out!"

He took only one step towards the temple before an explosion threw him into one of the ancient pillars.

"UUUNNHHHH!" Jun grunted as he slowly stood up. "Man, that wasn't fun."

"You're not going anywhere, brother!" Grunted a voice. When Jun looked up, he saw a hulking red monster with craters jutting from his body. Yellow eyes glowed under two craters on his forehead that stuck out like cannons.

"Great! Another one of Reapus' backup dancers." Jun grumbled.

"Reapus? You've been living under a rock all this time, kid?" The monster asked. "The name's Volcanum and The fabulous Shadius is my boss!"

Jun glared at Volcanum and figured that if Shadius sent him, then the temple held something he was looking for, too.

"Why are you here?" The green ranger asked. "I think I already know, though." He thought.

"That's none of your business! I'm just here to keep you from getting in my master's way!"

"You're here about the 'Heart', aren't you?"

"So what if I am? It's not like you're gonna stop me, ya pencil-necked twerp!"

"We'll see about that!"

Jun rushed in with Strider poised to strike. But before he could make contact with the creature…

**"MAGMA BOLIDES!"** He shouted.

(A/N: "Bolide" comes from the Greek word "Bolis" meaning "Missile" or "to flash".)

**"RIDE THE NOVA!"** Jun shouted as he quickly morphed.

Fiery orbs flew out of the craters of his body and zoomed towards Jun. He tried his best to deflect them with his blade, but a good number of them collided with him. The force sent him flying into far end of the ruins.

"YEAH! Whatcha gonna do when Volcanum runs wild on you!" The demon shouted in victory.

=====

Back at the Command Tower, Mike was in his office when the alarms sounded signalling a monster attack.

"Bring it up on screen!" Mike ordered.

"Yes, sir!" The officer said as he brought up the location of the latest attack. Mike's eyes widened when he saw Jun battling with an earthen red colored monster.

"He's in the jungle, but I don't recognize that part of it. It's not marked on any of our maps." He didn't have time to figure that out; Jun needed help. "Rangers! Jun's in the jungle and he's in big trouble. He's in an uncharted part so I can't send any coordinates."

"Leave that to me! I can lead the others to him." Tacari said as she spoke from the console on his desk.

"Good, hurry! He looks like a tough one!" Mike said. "Guys, Tacari's on her way to help Jun. I think she's gonna send you directions."

"She's doing better than that, Mike!" James said through the link.

"What do you mean?"

"You-you just have to see it to believe it."

Mike pulled up a visual of James, Hannah and Helix and he soon saw what the blue ranger meant. As the three rangers were running through the outer regions of the jungle, the animals there were guiding them to the location of their amazon savior either by pointing or physically leading them to her.

"Who needs GPS!" James chuckled.

"Clever girl." Mike smirked to himself.

=====

Back at the ruins, Jun wasn't faring very well against the much stronger Volcanum. The massive creature was having a field day with the green ranger as he manhandled him easily. Jun managed to make contact with his blade but it had little effect against his rock hard body.

**"VULCAN HAMMER!"**

He balled his fists and pounded the ground. The vibrations sent the green ranger into the air like he was on the other end of a teeter totter. He waited for the ranger to fall back down and when he was within range, Volcanum slammed his craggy forearms into Jun's body. His body skidded across the granite floor of the ruins until he stopped at the trees that made up the boundary between the ruins and the rest of the jungle.

"Now for my finishing move! **MAGMA BOLIDES!**"

Jun braced for the inevitable impact but instead of being blown to bits…

**"CELESTIAL FAN!"**

He felt an arm go around his waist and soon after, he found himself in the air; he just barely dodged Volcanum's attack. He looked over his shoulder to see who it was that saved him.

"Tacari?"

"Are you alright?" She asked in a serious tone.

"Yeah, thanks. Where are the others? This part of the jungle isn't on any maps. They could get lost."

"They're on their way… and I won't let them get lost." The pink ranger said as the two touched ground.

"Awesome! I love handicap matches!" Volcanum chuckled evilly.

"For now, we tangle with Hot Head until the others get here." Jun said. "Watch him. Those fireballs he shoots come hard and fast."

Tacari nodded as the pair got ready to go toe to toe with the walking lava flow.

=====

Byron was the last to enter the jungle and, thanks to the animals, they were leading him through without much difficulty. As a precaution he morphed as he entered the pink ranger's home just in case of an ambush. That forethought would prove to be an asset. He was close to the innermost part of the jungle when a blade flew through the air and stabbed the ground in front of the red ranger. The handle and the front blade of the katana were bone white while the serrated edge was a metallic red color.

"What a piece of hardware." Byron said in awe. Before he could reach out to touch the weapon, he was kicked from behind by a mysterious assailant. When Byron recovered long enough to see who attacked him, he looked up to see a white skeleton with blood accents along the arms, legs, ribs and shoulders. What was most noticeable was the skull. The face was also a sinister blood red color. The figure grabbed his sword and immediately attacked Byron with a flurry of slashes and swipes.

"Whoa!" He shouted as he brought his sword up just in time to block the assault. Soon, the two were engaged in heated swordplay. Each parry and thrust came fast and furious and, to the red ranger's surprise, they seemed to mimic his own. The creature seemed to match him move for move and neither swordsman gained an advantage over the other as their blades locked.

"Who are you!" Byron asked in a strained grunt.

The monster's skull seemed to shine like a polished ruby as the sun's rays hit its surface. With a glare, he answered the curious ranger.

"I am the shadow of your existence."

"Huh! Look, I don't have time to deal with you right now!" Byron summoned his courage and fought off the new menace for the moment. With a sneer, the skeleton jumped into the trees and looked down at the confused Byron.

"We'll fight again, Red Ranger." He promised as he vanished through the canopy.

"Why do I always attract the wackos?" Byron asked as he continued his push to his friends. Thanks to the animals, he quickly arrived to see that James, Hannah and Helix were fighting with Volcanum…and desperately needed his help.

**"NEBULA BOGEN!"******

**"ASTRAL LANCER!"******

**"STAR GRAZER!"******

**"AQUOS HATCHET!"**

James fired of rounds of his water arrows hoping that it would douse his fire but Volcanum just radiated enough heat to evaporate the arrows before they got too close.

"WHAT! You have got to be kidding!" James shouted in disbelief.

Jun, Hannah and Tacari went in next hoping that a combined attack would topple this walking monolith. Hannah threw her weapon like a boomerang while the pink ranger gave it an extra boost by propelling it with a gust created by her fan. Jun pole vaulted onto Hannah's grazer and rode it like a surfboard; he held his weapon like a knight in a joust.

"Get a load of these pythons, brother!" Volcanum taunted as he used his powerful forearms to knock Jun out of the sky and flying into the girls.

**"AAAHH!"** Hannah yelled.

**"Will you get off of us!"** Tacari shouted.

When Jun saw how he was positioned on top of the girls, he blushed under his helmet.

**"Sorry!"** Jun apologized as he got up quickly, slightly embarrassed that he was on top of Hannah for a brief moment.

"You guys flaking out on me? This match is NO HOLDS BARRED, NO DQ's and NO COUNT OUTS!" Volcanum's eyes glowed as he got ready to unleash his favorite move. **"MAGMA BOLIDES!"**

Fiery meteors flew from every orifice of his body; each one was ready to collide with the rangers.

**"SHOOTING STAR BARRAGE!"** Helix called out. His lightning fast reflexes met with every fireball as he deflected them away from his teammates.

**"AURORA BLADE!"** A streak of red entered the fray and helped the Gold Ranger beat back the streaking meteors. Both rangers lunged forward and double teamed the lava maniac. The red and gold rangers were holding their own, but Volcanum soon brushed them away like pesky flies.

"Man! Someone's been training hard and taking their vitamins!" Byron grunted.

"Well, he better start saying his prayers!" Helix grumbled.

As the others tried to regroup, Jun found himself surrounded by blackness.

"What's happening!" He shouted. A flash of gold appeared in front of him and it formed into the knight from Byron's tale.

"Warrior of the Verdant Star… are you willing to forfeit your life for your comrades?" He asked.

Jun was dumbfounded but he still had the presence of mind to answer.

"Of course. It's what I was asked to do."

"You would not do so of your own free will?" The knight asked with concern. "Not even for those you care for?"

Jun blushed under his helmet. Somehow, this knight managed to see into his heart and know his deepest secret. He then felt ashamed because in his nightmare, he wasn't able to save Hannah from her fate.

"You cannot hide your true self, warrior. Would you forfeit your life for her?"

Jun searched his soul and it was as if a light bulb went off.

"In a heartbeat."

The knight nodded and a golden orb of light appeared in Jun's hand. As the light faded, the Omega Terminal was in his palm.

"Fight with all you have." The knight said as he faded into his own golden light. The darkness lifted and he found himself back on the field with his friends.

"Guys, I think we need to pull out all the stops!" Byron shouted. Everyone took their star discs and placed them on the hilts of their striders. With a mighty spin, their respective colors whirled around their swords they yelled:

**"AURORA BLADES! CELESTIAL STRIKE!"**

With Helix and his Aquos Hatchet by their side, the rangers charged forward. With swirls of fire, water, earth, leaves and air, striders and hatchet alike slashed the air connecting with Volcanum's hard exterior. But to their dismay, even their combined attack wasn't enough to make a dent in Shadius' newest flunkie.

"Wow, that tickled!" He taunted. "Now, I get to flex my muscles! **VULCAN ROCK SLIDE!**"

He fired meteors from his back and used them to propel him forward at breakneck speed. He held his arms out at his sides and clotheslined the rangers until they scattered throughout the ruins. Seeing that the green ranger was vulnerable, he grabs Jun by the neck and begins to squeeze.

"It's high time I got rid of a few pests!" Volcanum threatened. "Might as well start with you, green bean!"

Jun clawed at the stone hand that held him by the throat as he struggled to breathe. He gagged helplessly as he tried to kick Volcanum off of him. Hannah woozily got up and saw that Jun was in deep trouble.

"Jun! I'm coming!" She yelled as she ran to him. **"STAR GRAZER! STAR DISC EPSILON!"**

She swung her weapon blindly, striking Volcanum's back with everything she had. She wasn't about to let this crater-laden monster hurt her friend. Annoyed at her attack, Volcanum swatted her away with his free arm.

"You're dancing on my last good nerve, little girl! **MAGMA BOLIDES!**"

The creature sends a shower of meteors at the yellow ranger. The impact sends her crashing through the temple walls.

"AAAAHHHHH!" Hannah screamed.

**"HANNAH!"** Jun managed to squeak out. When he saw the person he cared about the most crash through the stone wall, something in him snapped. With a fury that burned brighter than the sun, he pried Volcanum's hand from his neck and kicked him away.

**"This match just turned into a LAST MAN STANDING match!"** He grasped the terminal in his hand and the glare he shot at Volcanum was felt by all present. _"This is for you, Hannah."_ He thought before he yelled:

**"OMEGA TERMINAL!"**

The green ranger pressed the button on the black device. The golden emblem grew and shot into the sky like a rocket before it formed the image of a robe-like garment. The image burst into hundreds of stars before the shimmering points of light merged onto Jun's body. When the light faded, the Green Ranger stood in a robe trimmed in gold with and upturned collar and flared tails that reached the ground.

**"STRONG AS THE PLANET'S FORESTS! OMEGA STRIZER GREEN!"**

"ALRIGHT! GO GET 'EM, JUN!" Byron yelled.

"Whoa, brother! Where'd THAT come from!" Volcanum asked as he felt the level of the green ranger's power increase.

"There's no referee to ring the bell for you! **STAR DISC DELTA!**" Jun placed his disc in the terminal and swirls of shimmering leaves spun around the more powerful blade. **"AURORA BLADE! OMEGA MODE!"**

With his rage coursing through his veins, Jun went ballistic on Volcanum. Every strike he dealt, every slash and thrust was for Hannah and his friends and Volcanum was unable to withstand them. He made quick work of the lava monster and was about to deliver the final blow when a long, deafening roar stopped all the fighting. Jun glanced back at the temple through the hole Hannah's body made when she crashed through the wall and saw that the glyphs were glowing a bright red.

"What in the world…" Jun whispered in shock.

=====

Back on Reapus' ship, he and Shadius clutched their chests simultaneously.

"That-that power! It can't be!" Reapus shuddered.

"It is, Reappy-boy." Shadius said in a serious tone that uncharacteristic of him. "That power… it's the same power that sealed us away over a millennia ago."

Reapus emitted a low growl. He knew that things were going to come to a head…and soon.

=====

"What was that!" Byron asked, his head whipping around frantically.

"Like I know!" James scoffed.

"Something's been awakened." Tacari began. "And it's not happy."

As if to agree with the jungle woman, a large explosion of energy shot out of the temple and knocks everyone out of morph. It also sends Volcanum back to the depths of Mari Lake. At this point, Helix would have a smart aleck remark ready to go, but what was in front of him commanded his full respect. He takes a few tentative steps towards the temple entrance and said in a serious tone:

"The gates to Mu… They have been opened."

One by one, the faces of the rangers looked upon the temple as the inside glowed a brighter red. With Helix taking the lead, they all enter the stone structure.

=====

_A new chapter is about to be written. Will the rangers be able to cope with what the find inside, or will the discovery just lead to more unanswered questions? Find out in the next chapter of __**Power Rangers: GALAXY STRIDERS!**_

=====

End of Act 14


	15. Shadows of the Past, Pt II

**Chapter 15: Shadows of the Past-Part 2**

A strange force had sent Volcanum back to Mari Lake effectively giving the rangers a reprieve, but its true intentions are still unknown to the group standing in front of the ancient temple. All any of them knew was that the intense power coming from the stone structure knocked them out of morph and the glowing glyphs inside were beckoning them like moths to a flame. The sight was indeed a wonder to behold.

"Amazing." Hannah whispered in awe. "What do you think this means, guys?" She posed the question to Jun and Tacari who seemed to be the most knowledgeable about the ruins.

"You mean apart from being the greatest archeological discovery in the history of the planet?" Jun asked with wide-eyed excitement. It was his dream to stumble upon such a finding. Tacari was equally impressed by the sight. Though the ruins were in the pink ranger's backyard, she was still rendered speechless as she marveled at the temple. When James looked over and noticed that the jungle woman as stricken mute, he couldn't resist commenting.

"She's not talking! It's a miracle!" He joked. That crack earned him a stiff fist in the gut by the pink amazon.

"OOOF!" The blue ranger grunted.

"I'm still fluent in body language." She muttered causing Helix to chuckle.

"Okay, all joking aside… Jun has a point. This is an old temple, probably even older than all the tribes on Miranoi combined. It's amazing that it's still intact after all this time."

Tacari walked over to the wall and gingerly touched one of the bricks. The light inside seemed to pulsate as she did and a feeling of warmth shot through her body. She closed her eyes and knelt as she paid her respects to whoever built these ruins.

"Someone or something has been preserving these ruins for centuries... maybe longer." She said in a hushed voice.

"Well, maybe we should pay whoever it is a house visit." James chimed in, his curiosity matching everyone else's. Byron, who seemed to be the most entranced by the temple, nodded eagerly. To him, this was another adventure.

"And we're still standing here with our mouths open because…" He began before going into his bubbly persona. "If this discovery is as big as Jun says it is, we need to go in and explore. Who knows, there might be something in there that can help us defeat Reapus now that he's stepped up his game."

Helix and James both looked at the bouncy red ranger slightly confused… and slightly impressed.

"That's the most sense you've made since I met you." They said in unison before looking at each other.

"Jinx! You both owe me cokes." Hannah giggled.

"You can have anything you want." Helix smirked before Jun gently pushed Hannah towards the temple steps.

"Let's start looking around!" The green ranger said hurriedly, a hint of jealousy lacing his voice. As the group walked towards the entrance, James and Byron both started humming the Indiana Jones theme causing Tacari to give them incredulous looks.

"What are they doing?" The pink amazon asked with a tilt of her head.

"Acting like five-year-olds." Hannah sighed in humor.

=====

Meanwhile…

The events going on at the ruins of Miranoi seemed to trigger a disturbance on Celeste's star. The shrouded mentor was meditating in her chambers when the surge of energy from the ruins reached her star. Every crystal there started to vibrate and pulsate with light causing Celeste to come out of her meditative state. The look in her eyes spoke volumes; it was sheer horror.

"No, it can't be! This energy…" She whispered to herself as she realized what was going on. "I must hurry or else the secret will become undone! The consequences will be dire!"

Closing her eyes once more, she sang a single haunting note and transformed her physical form into that of a shimmering star. In a flash, she left her stellar home and zoomed to planet Miranoi at the speed of light. Back on the planet in question, the rangers were steps away from entering the temple when an orb of light blocked their path. All the rangers watched as Celeste's body formed from the light. She held both arms out to her sides hoping it would deter the rangers from going further.

"Rangers, stop!"

=====

Meanwhile…

Reapus' ship was rocked by the energy coming from the temple; those aboard felt the surge of power and were none too happy about it. After it passed, Reapus soon felt the energy signature of another; this time, the crimson tyrant smirked evilly.

"So, she unveils herself finally. Excellent." Reapus muttered to himself as he looked to his effeminate rival. "I'm borrowing your servant, fruitcake!" His body radiated with power and his yellow eyes glowed with the intensity of 1000 suns. With a loud growl, he sent dozens of bolts of lightning into the resting Volcanum.

"That's MR. Fruitcake to you, Reappy-boy!" Shadius snarled as Reapus failed to add a proper title to his insult.

**"Silence!"** The crimson lord shot back angrily. "Arise, Volcanum! Be reborn under my power and smash everything in sight!"

Volcanum's body jerked violently as Reapus infused his own power into the crater-laden monster. When the last of the energy absorbed into the lava creature, he stood up to his full height and steam oozed from every beefed up crater on his hulking body.

"Yeah, brother! Now, that's some wicked juice!" Volcanum said. "Time to lay the smackdown on those Galaxy Geeks!"

Shadius observed Reapus' plan and shook his head. He was unconvinced.

"Reappy-boy? Do you not see the irony in this? No feeling of déjà vu?"

"What are you talking about?" Reapus asked in annoyance. The effeminate one hung his head in shame before answering his powerful rival.

"Let me try to put this in terms that even YOU can follow. Ahem. Reappy pumps up Spider. Spider beats down FIVE rangers. Red Ranger comes back from death and fights Spider. Zords come in and form new weapon. SPIDER GO SPLAT! Should I repeat that or do you want me to give you the remix?"

"No need. I'm aware of my prior mistake and have taken steps to rectify it."

Shadius looked over the newly infused Volcanum but he was still unconvinced.

"I don't see any difference between this power up and the last one. What did you do this time?"

"Not only did I infuse him with some of my power…" Reapus began as Volcanum finished.

"He also has some of my mind and spirit." The lava golem added in the voice of his master.

This new development caused Shadius to smirk slightly.

"Possession. I'm slightly impressed. I'd be even more impressed if this one actually pulls out a win." Shadius scoffed.

"He has me in his corner…in more ways than one." Reapus said as he looked to his borrowed servant. "Now, go! Turn those ruins AND those rangers to rubble!"

"LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!" Volcanum shouted as he vanished to carry out the crimson tyrant's latest order.

"I think I'd actually pay money to see this fight." Shadius joked slightly.

=====

Back at the temple…

"Rangers, I beg you. Do not go any further!" Celeste pleaded. The six rangers stood there dumbfounded. Celeste had been less than forthcoming about a lot of things in the past few months but this time took the cake. This time, she was adamant about keeping whatever was behind her a secret. All had questions but the pink amazon was the first to voice hers.

"Why not?" Tacari asked, her face as stony as the walls of the temple. "Just what's in that temple that you don't want us to see… and what exactly do you have to do with it?"

Celeste couldn't give the pink ranger an answer, at least not the answer she was looking for.

"If there are doors meant to be opened, there are also ones that need to be closed for good. You will be endangering yourselves and the planet if you choose to enter!"

"If you want us to stay out that badly, just tell us what's in there." Hannah prodded as another thought crossed her mind. "You know, now that I think about it, you've been really secretive since you recruited us. A mentor who can't confide in her charges? That's not what I call a good sign of trust."

The Gold Ranger looked at Hannah and nodded in agreement.

"Rangers…"

Before she could field another explanation, a fireball aimed at the group landed near Celeste and the rangers. The force of the explosion sent rubble flying everywhere and blew the rangers towards the temple while Celeste jerked her head forward towards the source of the molten projectile.

"Yeah! Guess who's back and ready for another match!" Volcanum growled. His craggy body was infused with Reapus' evil energy and looked more formidable than before.

"Just what we need!" James grumbled sarcastically as he and the others struggled to stand. "A monster with roid rage!"

"How droll!" Reapus thought, completely unimpressed by James' attempt at wit. He then used his psychic link with his newest warrior to issue his next order. "Now, then. Volcanum, seal the rangers inside the temple! Your main target is Celeste."

"You got it, boss man!" He said to his boss vocally. "Say goodbye the kiddies, lady! **VULCAN HAMMER!**"

With a mighty grunt, Volcanum balled his fists and pounded the ground with the force of an earthquake. The powerful shockwaves knock the rangers inside the temple, much to Celeste's horror.

"Now to seal the deal! **LAVA FLOW!**"

His right hand glowed and a river of red hot lava shot out like a high pressure hose. The molten rock covered the entrance sealed them inside effectively separating them from their cosmic mentor.

"NO!" Celeste cried out. Things were quickly becoming worse and she was running out of options.

=====

Inside the temple…

James and Helix examined the now sealed entrance. The lava had cooled and was extremely thick, too thick for them to break through. With that option off the table, the blue and gold rangers continue to look for a way out while the others anxiously wanted to explore the temple and to see what Celeste was trying so hard to hide.

"This is absolutely incredible." Jun exclaimed as Tacari stood there with folded arms.

"Never mind the fact that we're sealed in here." Tacari said seriously.

Jun's excited tone quickly reverted back to his own serious persona when he heard the pink ranger's observation. After a failed search of any secret passages, Helix and James joined the others in the middle of the room.

"We should go further. Whatever Celeste is hiding here may help us out of this predicament." Helix suggested.

As if to agree with the gold ranger, the glyphs on the walls started to glow in sequence. They seemed to be…guiding them further into the temple. Jun walked over to the wall and touched the symbols as he tried to decipher them.

"Hmm." The green ranger hummed as he examined the pulsating markings. "If my ancient Miranoian is correct, this says… Chamber… of Power. The lights seem to be leading that way."

As badly as Hannah wanted to unveil the secret within the temple, she couldn't help but worry about their mentor who was just as trapped outside the temple as they were inside.

"Guys! We can't just leave Celeste out there!" Hannah reminded worriedly.

James looked towards the sealed door and shrugged his shoulders.

"She's resourceful. I have no doubt she'll be fine." The blue ranger said reassuringly. "Right now, we need to worry about how we're getting out of here."

Byron looked at the entrance, around the room they were currently in and then ahead to where the glowing glyphs were leading. He quickly weighed their options and resumed his leader role.

"Well, I don't see any other ways out. Might as well go this way." Byron suggested as he pointed further down the hallway.

Tacari and Jun nodded as they lead the team towards the innermost sections of the temple.

=====

Outside the temple walls…

As the rangers ventured deeper into the temple ruins, a similar dilemma was set before Celeste. She was literally caught between a rock and a hard place as she faced off with a more powerful Volcanum in front of her and a group of rangers two steps away from revealing her secret locked away in the temple behind her. Like the rangers, she was quickly feeling like there was no way out.

"What is your goal, Styxerian? You should know that the rangers will not be stopped by such a weak attempt!" Celeste warned. Her tone of voice was hiding her anxiety.

"Really? You look like you're shakin' in your toga, lady!" Volcanum taunted as he sniffed the air. "Hey, what's that scent you're wearing? Smells like Eau du Fear!"

Celeste's eyes reflected her determination as she stood her ground. She was so tempted to defeat this monster here and now.

"But doing so would reveal his origin." She whispered to herself.

Reapus could also see through his commandeered warrior and saw that his greatest foe was stalling.

"She's hesitant! Strike now!" Reapus ordered through the link.

"Time for the Knock Out! **VULCAN HAMMER!**" He struck the ground, sending a lava infused shockwave towards Celeste.

"AAAAHHH!" She screamed as she felt the vibrations beneath her. Thinking quickly, she floated into the air before she lost her footing and before the lava made contact. In her mind, she hoped that she could hold off Volcanum long enough for the rangers to escape and, at the same time, she hoped the rangers don't find out her darkest secret.

=====

Back in the temple…

The rangers, thanks to Jun's translations of the glyphs, made their way through the temple until they came upon a strange room nestled in the center.

"This room is... is..." Hannah began.

"Really empty!" James finished. "Some Chamber of Power."

"Looks can be deceiving." Helix said as he pointed to the cylindrical podium located in the middle of the room. "I'm assuming that is the treasure this temple holds."

Tacari looked at the stone podium and an expression of recognition crossed her face.

"That's the Tribunal Circle." The Pink Ranger explained. "It's used in Miranoian rituals... although they haven't been used in over a thousand years according to the elders of Maya's tribe."

"Then... this must have some kind of secret we aren't seeing." Jun suggested.

Aside from the podium, the room looked completely bare. There weren't even any glyph on the walls. On the surface, it looked like Celeste was making a big deal over nothing, but the rangers knew better. As the others tried to wrap their minds around the meaning of such a room, Byron scanned the room and tilted his head when his eyes caught sight of a red disc sitting on top of the podium.

"Hey… guys?" Byron asked as he pointed to podium. "Doesn't that look kind of familiar?"

Byron and the others looked at the disc in question and it did look familiar to the group. VERY familiar.

"It looks just like our star discs." Hannah surmised.

Helix stepped forward and studied the disc for a few moments. His eyes widened when he saw the markings.

"Those markings... There's no doubt about it. This is the disc..." He was being cryptic on purpose. How would he put this gently?

"What! This is the disc that Jack built?" James asked albeit impatiently. "Don't go Celeste on us, Helix! I don't think we can take any more secrets!"

Helix sighed before he faced the others. In a way, James was right. They did deserve to know, but he still wasn't sure they were ready to know everything.

"Well, this is a special disc. While I was training to use the Gold powers, I learned about all the spirits that protect Miranoi: the five shooting stars, your zords, the triad, the spirits of light, which I have... and one final one."

"And this disc is that one? What does it do?" Byron asked with child-like wonder.

"It calls on the most powerful spirit in existence. I heard only Orion himself could tame the beast. We should leave it as it is."

As Helix spoke, the other rangers looked upon the disc with glassy eyes and started to walk towards it slowly. It was as if it held them in a trance. Byron especially.

"Um... guys?" Helix asked hesitantly. He wasn't affected by the disc for some odd reason, but he started to get a bad feeling about this. "Whoo hoo! Hello!" He called out, waving his hands in front of their eyes. "Miranoi to Rangers! Can you read me? Over! This is great! The lights are on but nobody's home!" He sighed in frustration.

The rangers paid no attention to Helix. The disc seemed to be calling them.

"With this disc… we could… finally defeat Reapus." Jun replied in a trance-like state.

"That might be true, but we don't have any guarantee we could control the thing!" Helix tried to reason with them, but it fell on deaf ears.

"We must try. If we could tame the triad..." Tacari uttered as she stepped closer.

"They're in COMPLETELY different leagues!" Helix shouted. "Come on! You and Jun are supposed to be the level-headed ones!" When he saw that the quintet wasn't going to stop their advance towards the podium, he stepped in front of it. "I don't know about you, guys, but I don't feel like playing with death today!"

The Gold Ranger did his best to keep the rangers at bay by pushing them back. Unfortunately, Byron managed to slip by him. He was just like a kid in a candy store.

"I managed to tame two, Helix. Anyway, if it's that powerful, I'm sure it would be willing to help us." He said as he reached out to touch the disc.

Helix turned to see that Byron had sidestepped him and was about to touch the disc.

"DAMMIT, BYRON! STOP!" Helix couldn't get to Byron as he was busy holding the other four back, which was a feat in itself.

Byron didn't even hear Helix's pleas as his fingertips touched the forbidden red disc. When he did, a deafening roar echoed through the temple and nearly shook the structure to its core. A brilliant flash of golden light engulfed the six as the roar rang throughout the planet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

_The planet of Miranoi… only it wasn't the present Miranoi. This was over a millennia ago when the planet was younger and more vibrant. It was a time of great peace and prosperity for all and it was thanks to the efforts of the planet's greatest protectors. At the head of this team was Orion who stood in front of a large palace. He craned his head up to look at the clear blue sky which was the dominion of the Queen of the Skies and his direct second-in-command. He smiled when he saw large, blue pterodactyl-like creatures flying in formation across the clouds. Riding the lead avian was a woman wearing pink silken robes that glided through the air. Her most distinctive feature was her spiky mohawk. The lead creature landed in front of Orion and bowed its head allowing the woman to jump off._

"You sent for me?" She asked.

"I want you to summon the others. Our leader wishes to speak with us." Orion commanded.

"At once." She bowed.

The woman in pink chose two of her creatures to send word to the other members of Orion's team. She placed three scrolls in their mouths and, using a language known only to her, ordered them to fly across the planet.

"They'll be here before long." She said with a confident smirk.

One of the flying creatures made its way to the realm of the sea. A palatial abode rested on the shores of a white sand beach; this was the home of the Ocean guardian and Miranoi's most respected healer. He was on the beach taking care of an injured sailor and his pet. The young man's hands glowed an iridescent blue and passed them over the injured sailor's wounds. As he was tending to the man's pet, the flying creature swooped down and handed the healer the message. The young man, who wore blue pants and robes read the note and nodded to the creature that seemed to understand and bowed his head to offer him a lift.

"Thank you, but I have my own way." He said with a smile as he whistled. From out of the depths of the sea, a large dragon rose and swam towards its master. "Orion needs us quickly." He told his companion. The sea creature let out a roar as he allowed the healer to climb onto his head. With surprising speed, the creature cut through waves as it swam towards the domain of Orion.

In the part of the jungles of the planet where the forests meet the mountains, stood a large fortress nestled among the trees. This was the joint domain of the Forest and Earth guardians. The forest ruler was also Miranoi's top scholar and the structure doubled as his library. At his side was his fiancée, the Princess of the Terran Kingdom who had a golden monkey perched on her shoulder. As with the sea ruler, the flying creature arrived to deliver its message to the pair. The man in green took the message from the creature's beak and read it with his beloved.

"We'll be there." He said with a nod. The creature let out a shriek before flying back to its master. "Shall we go, my love?" He asked the woman in yellow.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." She smiled as he called for his trusted steed. In a flash, a large vulpine creature stood in front of the pair. It resembled a large cream-colored fox with red eyes and two tails. Flames lined its paws and tails but they didn't burn the foliage where it stood.

"Orion summons us." She said sweetly to his pet. With a nod, he allows both guardians to get on his back and soon ran like the wind to meet their leader.

It didn't take long for the others to arrive at Orion's palace. He and the Sky ruler waited as the guardians of the sea, forests and earth stood in front of him.

"Our master approaches." Orion replied. He and the four guardians knelt as the supreme ruler arrived. Strangely, the figure was blurry and no features could be made out. All they could tell was that the figure wore red.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

While the others recalled memories of the past, all Byron saw when the golden light hit him were shadows. Nothing discernable or definitive was shown to him at all.

"I don't get it! What's going on!" Byron called out in confusion. Before he could get any answers, a sharp, stabbing pain in his head made him kneel.

"AAAAHHHH!" He screamed in agony until an image appeared to the red ranger. Unlike the other shadows, this one was very clear. Laying on the floor, completely bloody and broken, was a woman in white bandages.

"Celeste?" Byron wondered aloud. The woman slowly looked towards the young man, her eyes pleading. She pointed to the sky and sent a white light into the cosmos. Before Byron could make sense of it, the memory ended as quickly as it had appeared.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back outside…

An intense battle was taking place between Celeste and a possessed Volcanum. Despite the fact that her injuries have finally healed, she still couldn't take the risk of being hit by one of Volcanum's fireballs so she kept dodging his blows. All the while, she had the presence of mind to keep his attacks from hitting the temple the rangers were still trapped in.

"You must stop this! Your actions could destroy all of us!" Celeste pleaded.

"Quiet, lady! I don't give a damn if this planet is destroyed. In fact, I'd be doing boss man a favor!" Volcanum shot back as he charged up for another fireball.

"You fool! Don't you realize that you'd be destroyed along with it if you succeed!"

The crater encrusted creature paused for a moment before tilting his head to the shrouded mentor.

"And you think I care because...?"

"So you're willing to be an expendable pawn for Reapus to just use and throw away?" She asked in disbelief.

"Now, ain't that the pot calling the kettle black!" Volcanum scoffed. "Lady, you're doing the same thing to those rangers!"

"They are not pawns! Do NOT associate me with Reapus, you monster!" Celeste snarled.

"Yeah, yeah. So you say! From what I saw, they weren't looking too happy with you earlier."

"Unlike your master, I'm trying to protect them. Reapus doesn't care about anything but his own wicked agenda!" Celeste tried to explain.

"I'll tell him you don't approve of his methods." The monster said mockingly. When he saw where Celeste was standing, he smirked. "Here, lady! Catch! MAGMA BOLIDES!"

Volcanum held his hand out and shot a large fireball from his arm like a cannon. Celeste dodged out of the way, but she played right into his hands. The fireball hit the temple causing it to crumble.

"Whether it's you or those colorful pipsqueaks, I'm sure boss man will be happy with the results!" He cackled evilly.

"NO!" She shouted in horror.

=====

Back at the Command Tower…

Mike had been keeping a close eye on the events and saw what was going on at the temple. When he saw Volcanum's fireball hit the stone structure with the rangers inside, he went to his console and tried to hail them in the hopes that they were alright.

"Rangers! RANGERS!" Mike shouted. "Do you read me?"

The shockwaves from the attack disrupted the frequency so the signals ended up coming back as dead air.

"Not good!" He thought to himself as Commander Stanton entered. "Sir, I have to go out there!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Corbett! You don't have your power anymore!" Commander Stanton protested. "It'd be a suicide mission!"

"Then what about the rangers?" Mike asked in frustration. "I can't sit by and do nothing. They're not just my team… they're my friends."

The commander stood there speechless. He knew all too well that Mike would do anything for the welfare of others, but something told him that this wouldn't be a good idea. He had to see if he was committed to his decision.

"If you went, what would you do?"

With determination in his eyes, Mike looked right as his C.O. and answered:

"Whatever I have to. Sir, the rangers may need help… and I may be the only one who can."

Commander Stanton mulled over Mike's words in his mind. Whenever the Terran Venture officer had an urge to help someone, it somehow always turned out okay. Against his better judgment, he said finally,

"Very well. But you are to remain in constant radio contact. I'll have Eagle-1 fly you over the area. It's too dangerous to approach on foot."

"Thank you, sir." Mike saluted before running out to board Eagle-1.

=====

Back at the temple…

The rangers, save for Helix, were still in their trance when Volcanum's Magma Bolides collided with the temple. The shockwave did the trick in snapping them out of their dream-like state. James was the first to speak.

"Whoa! Talk about déjà vu! What was that?" He asked as he shook the cobwebs from his head.

Before he could get an answer, another intense shock rocked the temple causing all the rangers to be knocked to the floor.

"I've felt that before! Not fun!" Hannah groaned as she rubbed her chest. "I still owe him for that!"

"Me, too!" Helix and Jun said in unison.

As the others struggled to stand, Tacari looked up to see the ceiling crumbling to pieces.

"The temple... it's falling in! We have to get out of here!" She shouted.

"NOW, YOU'RE MAKING SENSE! THAT'S the Tacari I'm proud to know!" Helix cried in exasperation. Helix has spent what seemed like hours trying to wake them up.

"Can we not discuss our checking out right now? We need to blow this pop stand!" Jun stressed as he just barely dodged a falling brick.

"Sounds like a plan! I like that plan!" Helix agreed quickly as the six pulled out their morphers. Although still worried about what he saw, Byron concentrated on the matter at hand.

"Exit, stage outta here! **RI****DE****THE****NO****VA!****"**

**"SUPERNOVA! RIDE ON!"**

All six rangers morphed as their comets busted through an adjacent wall. They boarded their celestial bodies and rode out of the temple before it collapsed. Celeste saw six colored streaks zoom out of the temple and sighed in relief when she realized that her rangers were safe… at least for the moment. Despite the good news, she still kept her guard up; she still had Volcanum to contend with and she didn't know exactly what the rangers had seen inside the temple.

"We have company." Tacari said as she spotted Volcanum. "And he looks stronger than before."

"Sounds like we need an upgrade as well." Helix nodded. "Anyone have the Omega Terminal on them?"

"I don't have it." James answered.

"Neither do I." Hannah replied.

"I got nothin'." Byron chimed in.

"Don't look at me. It went A.W.O.L. after I used it." Jun responded.

Tacari just shook her head in response.

"Fantastic!" Helix sighed. "Fine. Then, we'll have to attack him as we are. Let's go!"

The six jumped from their comets and landed in a hexagonal formation around Volcanum.

"Oh, how cute! We're playing Duck, duck, goose!" He mocked. Well, let's go straight to GOOSE! **MAGMA BOLIDES!**"

Before the hulking monster could gather the energy for another attack, a terrifying roar erupted from the earth beneath them as the gigantic figure of a bull pulling a cart rose from the ground. Helix looked up and marveled at the sight before him. The bull's golden horns shone in the sunlight as chains draped from them. Steam billowed from its flaring nostrils.

"It's the Guardian of Mu." Helix said in awe. "It's the most powerful spirit in the history of Miranoi."

The giant red guardian surveyed the destruction of the ancient temple and let out a threatening roar letting every creature on the planet know of his rage.

"And it sounds pissed!" James observed.

_**"MIRANOI MUST FALL!"**_

"Wait! It can talk!" Byron asked in surprise.

The large mechanical bull reared up its front legs and rolled forward intent on mowing down everything and everyone that got in its way.

"Anyone got any ideas on how to stop it?" Jun asked.

Helix was about to say something when James interrupted.

"We are NOT waving a red cape in front of it and yelling 'TORO'!"

"I was gonna say we should plead our case to it." Helix corrected. "But bonus points for thinking outside the box."

Pleading their case was a good idea, but someone else was going to do the pleading as Eagle-1 touched down close to the ruins. Mike emerged from the aircraft and stood in front of the rampaging temple guardian.

"Please, stop!" He yelled. "Look, I know you're upset about your temple, but you shouldn't fault the whole planet for it." The bull didn't act the least bit interested in listening to Mike's case. "Not everyone on Miranoi is intent on causing harm. Take me, for example. I was Torozord's partner when I had the Magna Defender powers."

The Mu guardian looked down at Mike's form, its green eyes glowing.

"My… son." He uttered. "Torozord was my son. I am aware that you and he were partners, human. I am also aware that you sacrificed him for the outsiders!"

"Huh? What's he talking about, Mike?" Byron asked.

"I've heard stories about that day from Maya." Tacari began. "The people of Terra Venture were captured by Captain Barbarax and his swabbies. Mike went undercover to help free them. When they were all free, they tried to escape the Lost Galaxy through a portal, but it began to close. Mike and the Torozord stood in front of the portal and used their energy to keep it open long enough for them to escape. Unfortunately, the Torozord didn't make it."

_**"Yes, he killed my son!"**_ The Mu guardian shouted in rage. Steam shot from its nostrils as he resumed his rampage.

"Okay, I see talking isn't gonna work!" James observed.

"You're right. Time for action! **ALPHA LION!**"

**"BETA DRAGON!"******

**"GAMMA TURTLE!"******

**"DELTA BEAR!"******

**"EPSILON MONKEY!"******

**"KAPPA GRAPPLER!"**

**"ZORDS UNITE!"** Byron shouted as he drew the symbol in the air. All six zords went through their respective transformations.

**"STRIDER KING MEGAZORD!"**

**"HELIOS GRAPPLER OMNIZORD!"**

With the gravity of the situation being what it is, they wasted no time in bringing both megazords together.

**"HELIOS STRIDER MEGAZORD!"**

"Okay… we're big! Now what!" Hannah asked wondering what their next move was.

"I dunno, but we better do something quick! It's charging!" Helix shouted. Indeed, the mechanical bull was racing towards them as sparks shot out from its wheels.

"Brace yourselves!" Byron ordered.

As the Mu guardian charged, the Helios Strider Megazord grabbed its horns and planted its feet into the ground.

"So many things could be said right now!" Helix said; he was so tempted to make light of their situation.

"Let's not and say we did." Jun suggested.

"Keep it up! I think it's working!" Byron shouted.

Everyone let out a loud grunt as they managed to push the red bull backwards. When the opportunity presented itself, they jumped onto the back of the cart and tried to wrangle the bull by pulling on the chains. The Mu Guardian would have none of it and quickly bucked the Megazord off its back sending it flying.

"This is why I hate rodeos!" Jun groaned.

While their first attempt to tame the guardian failed, Reapus watched on with sadistic glee as he used his link with Volcanum.

"If he can best their most powerful megazord, he's formidable, indeed!" Reapus laughed.

"We tried talking to it and fighting it. Neither way worked." Tacari pointed out.

"We can't give up, guys!" Byron stressed. "I still think I can appeal to his sense of justice."

"You mean, you're gonna beg." Helix interrupted.

"Basically, yeah!" The red ranger affirmed as he took out his strider from his podium.

"What do you think you're doing!" Jun asked in shock.

"Well, I can't talk to it from here!" Byron said as he jumped from their megazord to the cockpit of the raging bull. He placed his strider sword into the podium and hoped talking to the guardian a second time would work. "Guardian, um… Mu? You have to stop this! Please!"

Being one to take advantage of a situation, Reapus used his powers to make Volcanum grow to immense proportions.

"I think it's time you helped the guardian dispose of its enemy." The crimson tyrant ordered.

"I'm on it, boss man!" Volcanum growled as he charged at the megazord.

"Oh, come on!" Hannah cried.

"Deep down, I knew this would happen." Tacari said seriously.

"Well, we better buy Byron time to work his charm on that bull." James suggested.

"I don't think the dreaded Puppy Face is gonna work this time!" Helix grunted as Volcanum slammed into them with a clothesline.

While the other rangers fought with a towering Volcanum, Byron was trying to convince the giant bull that destroying the planet was a bad idea.

"I order you to leave!" The guardian bellowed as he bucked.

"Not until you hear me out!" Byron replied as he sent all of his energy through the strider sword. "Please! I know you don't want to hurt anyone."

Slowly, the guardian stopped rampaging long enough to listen to the red ranger's words… and to pose a question of its own.

"Tell me, ranger. For what reason do you fight?" It asked.

"First the knight, now you. Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Byron asked himself in his mind before answering the bull. "I fight for everything. I fight to protect everyone important to me, even if they're total strangers. You don't need to destroy the planet. Let us help you. I promise we'll rebuild the temple in your honor. Just… please. No more destruction."

As the guardian takes stock of Byron's plea, Volcanum is making quick work of the Helios Megazord.

"Time for the knockout blow! **VULCAN ROCK SLIDE!**"

Using his back craters as jets, Volcanum shot fire from the back and used the force to propel him forward. He crashed into the Helios Megazord with such force, it dismantled into its separate components. Each zord was sent flying in different directions. Byron had his own problems when he felt the guardian start to shake from its rage.

"That can't be good!" He said to himself.

"Humans are useless!" The guardian roared. "All you do is bring destruction to everything! You even bring your warrior zords into a fight you couldn't possibly win! You care nothing for the welfare of the spirits that guarded this planet! That is why it, and every living creature on it, must be destroyed!"

The guardian let out a deafening bovine roar as he rolled forward. The sparks its wheels made threated to set fire to the entire forest when Mike stood in front of the massive bull.

"NO! You're wrong about us!" Mike corrected. "We're not the destructive, uncaring beings you think we are!"

"Why should I listen to my son's murderer?" The Mu guardian bellowed angrily.

"I won't let you destroy Miranoi!" Mike said standing his ground. "If you want to do that, you're gonna have to go through me!"

The bull's eyes dimmed for a moment before burning a bright green. He looked down at Mike with malice as he said:

"As you wish!"

The Guardian aims its missile turrets at Mike and fires. The loss of his son, the Torozord, never diminished after all those years.

"MIKE!" The rangers shout as they watch helplessly as missile after missile exploded around Mike. When the assault was over, Mike was still standing. His clothes were torn from the force of the explosions and charred from the heat. He was battered and bruised but still had enough energy to plead the planet's case one last time.

"I can't say I don't deserve this, because I do." He said as he staggered forward. "I can't tell you how sorry I am about your son, but I still think humans can change. Just know that… your son… died a hero."

The injuries he sustained was so severe, he fell to his knees. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell forward.

"NO! MIKE!" The ranger shouted in horror as their friend and mentor succumbed to his injuries. Celeste had to think quickly. Using her powers, she separates Mike's soul from his body.

_"I see words won't work with the guardian."_ She thought. "Seeing is believing."

The cosmic mentor sends the former Magna Defender's energy into the mechanical beast. The guardian is bombarded with Mike's memories, specifically those where he and Torozord fought together. He could feel the bond between them and the mutual sense of justice they shared. He saw the memory of Terra Venture trying to escape the Lost Galaxy and the moments before Mike rushed in to keep the portal open. What the Guardian didn't know was that keeping the portal open was Torozord's idea and that he knew full well that he might not survive. Mike even tried to talk him out of it, but Torozord stuck to his guns. He saw where Torozord fought with everything it had to keep the portal open long enough for everyone to escape and how upset Mike was that he lost him.

"He… cared." The guardian whispered. "Maybe… there is hope for your kind. If my son can fight alongside humans, so can I. You have my assistance."

"Thank you, guardian." Byron nodded, his voice reflecting his sorrow for Mike's loss.

"I shall honor my son… and your friend." The guardian said. Soon the red disc from the Tribunal Circle appeared in Byron's hands. "Take this and unleash my power!"

Before Byron could thank the guardian again, the Omega Terminal appeared on his strider in a flash of golden light.

"Huh! How did that… Never mind. I'm not complaining." Byron said quickly as he placed the disc inside and spun it.

The robotic bull reared up until it was standing on the back end of its cart. The cart separated into feet and legs while the missile turrets detached from the top of the bull and formed its arms. A panel opened up to reveal its face.

**"MINOTAUR GUARDIAN OMNIZORD!"** Byron shouted with confidence as he looked at Volcanum. "That's right! You mess with the bull, you get the horns!" A loud bovine echoed throughout the cockpit. "Uh… sorry. I just always wanted to say that. Let's take this guy down once and for all!"

"Whoa! How did you manage that!" Volcanum asked.

"Never mind that! Burn that Omnizord to cinders! I don't care if you have to burn down the whole forest in the process!"

"Whatever you say, boss man!" Volcanum said as he heeded his master's order. "My boss wants a barbecue and you're gonna be the main course! **MAGMA TORCH!**"

"He did not just go there!" Byron scoffed as he and the Omnizord charged. Apparently, the guardian didn't appreciate the barbecue reference. The guardian withstood the intense heat of the flames and dished out some of its own moves upon the dumbfounded walking crater.

"Let's see how you like getting hit with bullets!" Byron shouted. **"GUARDIAN CANNONS!"**

Like Volcanum's favorite attack, missiles shot out from the dual turrets and blasted the hulking lava creature back.

"Gave you a taste of your own medicine." The red ranger said confidently.

"No! Time out, brother! Where's the ref?" Volcanum whined. "Someone ring the bell!"

"Oh, your bell's gonna get rung right now!"

Byron pulled his strider sword out from the podium. As he did, the Omnizord kicked its left leg causing the large version of the red disc to attack to an area between its horns. Byron spun the disc on his strider and pointed it at Volcanum like a gun. In turn, the omnizord brought out a handheld Gatling gun and aimed it at Volcanum.

"Start counting to three! **UNIVERSAL SALVO!**"

The Minotaur Omnizord fired its Gatling gun as the disc between its horns spun wildly. Bullets and a white, spiritual aura zoomed towards Volcanum until he exploded into millions of pieces.

"That was for you, Mike." Byron said softly as he bowed his head.

=====

After the fight, the rangers, including Celeste stood at the ruins as a medical team from the tower came to retrieve Mike's body. They were grateful that the guardian was now on their side, but were saddened that it cost a friend his life.

"I-I still can't believe it." Hannah whispered. "This has to be a bad dream."

"I'm afraid not." Tacari reminded. "Mike died, but he died with honor. He died a hero, like Torozord."

"I guess… he can finally join him now." Hannah surmised as a tear fell from her eyes.

"You don't really know what you can do until you're tested." Helix said quietly.

"Well, Mike passed with flying colors." James nodded. "What are we gonna tell Leo?"

"Didn't you hear Tacari? We tell him he died a hero." Jun answered.

Byron was oddly silent. Usually he'd be bouncing off the walls after a battle, but with the loss of Mike, he didn't feel much like celebrating. The other reason he was quiet was because he now had more questions than he started out with. Why didn't he see anything about HIS past life when everyone got hit with that light? He turned to the one person who could answer him and hoped she WOULD answer him.

"Celeste?" He asked timidly. "In the temple, when we got hit with the golden light, why was it that everyone else saw their past lives and I didn't?"

After a few tense moments, Celeste just turned away from him and teleported back to her star without a word.

"Celeste! Wait!" Byron called out, but it was no use.

"Dude, I think she needs time. We all do." James said putting his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"I think I'm gonna go back to my place." Hannah suggested sadly.

"I can walk you home!" Helix and Jun offered at the same time.

"Thanks. I don't think I should walk alone."

As they walked the yellow ranger home, Jun and Helix glared daggers at each other along the way.

"I need to see about the little ones." Tacari said as she vanished into the jungle brush.

"Hey, wanna go back to our place? We can have that movie night." James suggested. He hated seeing Byron upset and hoped this would cheer him up.

"Maybe another time. I wanna do some thinking… alone."

James knew his friend was taking Mike's death really hard.

"Okay, buddy. I'll meet you back there later."

"Thanks, man."

With that, the two best friends went their separate ways. James went back to their apartment while Byron decided to take a walk around town to clear his head. He takes a stroll through the plaza when he runs into some street thugs.

"Hey, buddy! There's a toll for walking on our turf!" The lead thug ordered. "Pay up!"

"I don't have any money!" Byron said holding his hands up.

"Then I guess we're takin' it out of your hide! GET HIM!"

As the thugs surround Byron, he was tempted to fight them off but in doing so, he might spill the beans about his identity. He was about to stabbed with a knife when a blur whizzed by and kicked it out of the thug's hand.

"You wanna bully someone? Bully me… if you can!"

The young man was tall and had a lean build, much like Byron's.

"Okay, buddy! You asked for it!"

The street gang pounced towards the young man but his speed and agility allowed him to maneuver around them easily. With some well-placed punches, kicks and throws, he fought off the gang until they ran screaming. He looked behind him to check on Byron.

"You okay?" He asked with concern.

"Yeah. Thanks for the help… uhh… Sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"Nikolas." Said the young man.

"Byron. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise. If you don't mind me saying so, you don't look so good."

"I'm not feeling so good, either. I just lost a good friend of mine and I kinda need some alone time to sort things out." Byron confessed.

"I'm sorry. Well, I think you need to go somewhere closer to your house. At least so someone can keep an eye on you." Nikolas suggested.

"Yeah, maybe you're right. Hey, I'm sorry for cutting this short. Maybe we can hang out some time? You'd like my friends." Byron offered.

"Sounds like fun. How about we meet here tomorrow afternoon? Say 3?"

"3." Byron chuckled. "Just kidding. 3 sounds fine. See ya then… and thanks again for the save."

"No problem. Take care." Nikolas said as he waved to Byron. When he was out of sight, Nikolas' expression changed drastically from amiable to evil. "I just hope you're nowhere around when I destroy the red ranger."

His eyes flashed red as he walked into an alley… and vanished.

=====

_Opening the temple answered some questions and created more for our rangers. Just what is Celeste intent on hiding from Byron? Who is Nikolas and why does he have such hate for the red ranger? Find this out and more in the next episode of… __**Power Rangers: GALAXY STRIDERS!**_

=====

End of Act 15


	16. Truth

**Chapter 16: Truth**

When someone passes on, it's usually felt only by those closest to that person. In Mike Corbett's case, his passing was felt by every citizen on Miranoi mainly because it was his actions that made it possible for them to make it to the alien planet in the first place. It has been a week since the former Magna Defender stood up to the Temple Guardian of Mu and paid the ultimate and now, every man, woman and child were in attendance at the largest state funeral in the planet's history. As expected, the mood was solemn since they were all in mourning. Commander Stanton was a rock as he headed the ceremony, though inside, he was seconds away from breaking down.

"We've lost a true hero." He begins in a solemn tone. "But we're not here just to mourn the passing of a remarkable young man; we're also here to celebrate his life. If it wasn't for his actions, we wouldn't have been able to make Miranoi our second home."

Commander Stanton began telling the story of how Mike went above and beyond to rescue the people of Terra Venture and help everyone escape the Lost Galaxy. Everyone employed in the Command Tower, including Jun, were in their dress uniforms while Byron and the others sat in the front row. Today, there was a special guest at the funeral . After Commander Stanton gave his eulogy, the lovely blonde woman sang a heartfelt goodbye to her friend . The woman was none other than former Pink Galaxy Ranger, Karone. Her blue eyes reflected her sorrow as her song neared its end. Jun and a few hand-picked officers walked to Mike's casket and lifted it. The green ranger was honored to be one of Mike's pall bearers, but he hoped it wouldn't happen so soon. The funeral procession led to sacred land on the outskirts of the jungle and the city where Mike would be laid to rest. As Jun and the other pall bearers lowered the former Magna Defender's body into the ground, they stood with Commander Stanton and saluted as seven officers pointed lasers into the sky and gave Mike a send-off worthy of a hero-a 21 gun salute. Everyone there grabbed a handful of soil and tossed it on top of the casket as they each bade him a final goodbye. The air was somber among those in attendance and it seemed to spread throughout the jungle. The animals, the trees, even the grass seemed to mourn the loss of Mike.

"He was honorable." Tacari said softly. "He had the heart of a warrior."

"Indeed." Commander Stanton replied.

As they began to bury the former Terra Venture officer, Karone couldn't keep it together any longer. Crystalline tears streamed down her face as she ran from the burial site to parts unknown. Well, almost unknown. One person had a good idea where she was going.

"Poor Karone." Byron whispered. "Hey, James. Keep an eye on everyone for me, okay? I'm gonna check on her."

"If you can find her." James said sadly.

"I think I know where she's going. We'll meet up back at our place." The red ranger replied. He was also grieving for Mike but he figured that Karone was taking it harder than he was since she knew him longer.

"Okay. Good luck, man."

"Thanks."

As the funeral drew to a close, Byron ran towards the lake that sat just outside the city boundaries. The location was very familiar to him. This was where he ran off to after he nearly burned half of downtown with Kafer's disc. He scanned the shore until he saw flaxen hair wafting in the breeze coming off of the water.

"Karone?" He asked softly.

"Byron. Oh… I'm sorry." She apologized as she wiped her face quickly. "How'd you find me so fast?"

"Wasn't hard. This is the same place you found me a few months ago." He grinned as he sat next to her. "Remember?"

"Yeah." She chuckled sadly. "It's hard to believe how things can change so quickly."

"Yeah. Just a few weeks ago, everyone was at MY funeral… and now… " The usually chipper Byron began. Tears welled in his doe brown eyes as he continued. "He was kinda like a big brother to me." He said as his eyes widened. "Oh, my God! He's never gonna get to see Leo. How am I gonna tell him that Mike's… that he's…"

That was the breaking point for the young red ranger. He tried to hold the dam back as long as he could during the funeral, but the thought of the heroic brothers never getting that last chance to see each other was the straw that broke the camel's back. Seeing Leo was the one thing he wished for besides saving Miranoi. Now, he was never going to get the chance. That notion was enough to start Byron crying. Karone's heart broke for the young man and she pulled him into a warm hug. She allowed the red ranger to stain her shirt as he let the rivers of tears fall from his eyes.

"It's okay. Let it out." She whispered as she rocked him. Fresh tears fell from her sapphire orbs as she did.

After what seemed like an eternity, Byron slowly stopped crying and lifted his head from her leather clad shoulder. Karone reached up and gently dried his eyes which made the young man look at her innocently. He never experienced anyone being so caring to him before. After a while he mimicked her and gently wiped her tears away; that was when sapphire blue orbs locked with chocolate brown ones. Then, for some reason unknown to anyone but the fates above, both of their heads slowly lean forward until their lips meet in a soft, sweet, and very brief kiss. A few seconds passed before Karone pulled back in surprise.

"Oh, my-Byron, I'm so sorry!" She stammered. "I-I don't know what-"

Byron just sat there and blinked a few times. The naïve red ranger just had his first kiss… and he liked it! He was brought out of his state of sheer bliss when he heard the flustered Karone apologize.

"No, don't be sorry. It's okay." He said reassuringly. "Really. It was a surprise… A nice one." He smiled.

Now, instead of somber, the air between the two was… awkward. They acted like children as they giggled lightly at what just happened, but they both felt something in the process.

"It was nice. Really nice." She smiled softly. "So…"

"Yeah… so…" He chuckled. "Maybe… we can do something later?"

The flaxen former pink ranger looked at Byron with a smile.

"Are you asking me out?"

"I dunno. Am I doing it right?" He asked worriedly.

"Only if I say yes. And I am." She chuckled.

"Awesome!" He cheered. "I-I mean… great! Great." He stammered. "How about a movie?"

"Sounds like fun. I'll be here for a while. Commander Stanton offered me a job and he's giving me some time to think it over."

"Okay. I'll see you Friday at 6?" He asked as he stood up, blushing slightly. If he wasn't cute enough, the slight pink tinge in his cheeks made him even more endearing. He held his hand out for the blonde to take.

"It's a date." She agreed as she took his hand. Byron helped her up and the force of the pull brought their bodies extremely close to each other. "Sorry." She blushed.

"I don't mind." He smiled. "See you Friday."

"See ya." With a quick smile, she jogged back to the Command Tower where she was staying. Leaving Byron to contemplate what just happened. The small grin he had on his face slowly widened into one the Cheshire Cat would be proud of.

"My first kiss… and my first date… all in one day! I got it goin' on!" Byron crowed. He reached his hand up and was gonna lean against a tree. Unfortunately, he missed the tree completely and fell flat on his face. He quickly jumped up and spat out the blades of grass that got caught in his teeth.

"I am SO glad nobody saw that! I'd never live it down."

Unbeknownst to him, someone did see him. Two someones, actually. From up in the trees, two pairs of eyes watched the whole scene between him and Karone-one pair red, the other gold. Tacari's babies had tagged along and spied on their favorite red ranger as he experienced his first kiss and did his impression of a tree after a lumberjack yelled "timber". The small critters chittered, their version of giggling, before streaking back to their pink amazon. Byron was about to walk back to his apartment when Commander Stanton's voice came over his morpher.

"Reapus is in rare form, today." He said in frustration. "This creature is invading the quarry just outside of the city. You can't miss it. Just look for skulls. The others are on their way there as we speak."

_"He doesn't believe in letting anyone rest, does he?"_ Byron groaned in thought. "I'm on my way. **RIDE THE NOVA!**"

Byron quickly morphs and uses his comet to take him to the battle site where the others are busy fighting the new monster. Somewhere atop a craggy outcropping, a human figure stood watching the ensuing battle. He had a look of disgust and boredom and was about to leave when the object of his hatred arrived.

"Red Ranger." He whispered to himself. He watches as Byron leaps from his comet and joins his teammates in battle.

**"NOVA BIHANDER!"** He calls out. As he wields his weapon, the man watches with renewed interest. Every thrust, parry and swing was observed intently by the mysterious man.

"The others are of no concern to me. They're not worth my time." He murmured to himself. "Only you, Red Ranger, have the skills to give me an interesting battle. Only your blood will stain my hands. We will meet again… and I'll relish taking your head from your shoulders."

As the rangers fought, the man cast one last glare of contempt at the warrior in red before making a discreet exit.

-

Back on Reapus' ship, he and Shadius are having a powwow regarding the addition of the Mu Guardian to their arsenal. Needless to say, things aboard were getting tense.

"Reappy-boy, the rangers have beefed up. Pun completely intended." Shadius said worriedly. **"I missed my 2 o'clock mani-pedi over this!** I am NEVER late for those so you know how flustered this has me! Oh, my masseuse is gonna have a field day with me later."

"Quiet, you fruitcake!" Reapus shouted. "Although, you are correct. Things are getting a tad bit too dangerous for my tastes. We need to somehow get rid of them quickly, before our forces shrink any further."

"For once, we agree. And that worries me more than the rangers." Shadius cringed.

Kalamax, who was still trying to prove himself to his master, tried to throw his two cents into the conversation.

"My lord? I believe I have something that could benefit us..." He began.

Shadius was about to offer up an idea when Kalamax's voice derailed his train of thought. He looked at the short squid and waved his fan at him.

"Grown men are talking." Shadius shooed. "Why don't you make yourself useful and help Crissy restring her shamisen? And if you can get her to play something more… upbeat, I'd appreciate it."

"I wasn't addressing you! I was trying to talk to Lord Reapus!" The squid general reminded.

"Kalamax, I have no time for your incessant rambling!" The crimson lord roared. "Leave us!"

"But…"

**"NOW!"** Reapus' roar shook the entire ship causing Crescenda to play a sour note.

"As you w-w-wish, my Lord." Kalamax stammered as he quickly left his master's sight. Once he was out of earshot, Kalamax fumed over Shadius' treachery against him.

"Traitor! Hypocrite!" He snarled to himself. "How dare he go back on his word! And Lord Reapus… How can he value his opinion over mine! I've been loyal to him since day one and this bedazzled upstart just swoops in and…. AAARHRRGHH!"

Kalamax walks to the lower decks and summons a spirit from the depths.

"I'll show them all! Rise, my beauty!" His staff emitted an ominous glow as an apparition wafted into the room. The ghost took physical form and stood in front of her new master. She was a particularly heinous looking harpy with feathers swept to the side like hair. Her left hand was wrapped in red feathers while her right hand was nothing more than an enlarged bird head with a massive copper beak.

"You called, Papi?" She asked in a slightly flirtatious tone.

"Ah, Senorita Pajarita. Indeed, I did." Kalamax affirmed. "My most vicious warrior, I have a task for you. I want you to go and destroy those bothersome rangers for me."

"Si. I do this for you." She agreed as she fanned herself. "Any special way you want them disposed of?"

"Show no mercy." He answered in a low tone.

"Ay, Chihuahua! These gringoes must have stuck a habanero up your enchilada." She smirked. "Consider it done, chico." With that, she vanished in a flourish of feathers.

"Soon, they'll all see!" Kalamax glowered as he made his way back to the upper deck.

-

After fighting the latest threat to Miranoi, Byron, James and Helix go back to their apartment to change out of their funeral clothes and into their regular attire. The blue ranger notices the smile on his friend's face, but it somehow looked different. This wasn't his usual "incurable optimist" smile; some outside source was causing it and he wanted to know what.

"Okay, buddy. Spill." James ordered.

"Spill what?" Byron asked innocently.

"Dude, that smile you have plastered all over your face… it would creep the Joker out!" The blue ranger joked. "Something happened and I doubt it was during our fight with Skeletor's illegitimate love child."

Helix walked in with a couple of bottles of juice and caught a bit of the conversation with the red and blue rangers. He looked at the grin on the young man's face and he had an inkling as to why it was there.

"Come on, Ron! What happened?" James asked again.

Byron looked out the window wistfully and thought back to what happened before Commander Stanton called them for duty.

"Well, you know I went after Karone after she ran away. I found her by the lake, we talked, we cried, she kissed me, Commander Stanton called us…" He rambled, intentionally speeding through the part about the kiss.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Back up!" James said waving his hands. "Say that part you rushed through…slowly."

"'She kissed me'?" He asked wondering if that was what James meant.

James didn't know what to think. He was happy for his friend… and proud. In his mind, he saw himself as a big brother showing him the ropes. But, at the same time, he was a little jealous that he got a kiss and so soon.

"Did you hear, that, Helix? I don't believe this! I have the good looks, the charm, the swagger... and YOU get the girl? So not fair!"

Byron looked at James as if he grew another head.

"Dude, what's the big deal? You already have one." Byron shot back.

"Yeah, but yours doesn't shoot death glares at you or has the ability to send animals to attack you in your sleep." James retorted before he realized what he just said. **"AND SHE'S NOT MY GIRL!"**

"A bit of a delayed reaction there, James." The red ranger grinned.

James stammered and flubbed every sentence he tried to make in protest of Byron's statement.

"Just let it go, dude!" James settled.

"Just wait till the others hear about this." Byron giggled. James grabbed him by the collar and pulled him close to give him a stern warning.

"Only if you want Tacari's next knife to hit its target. She doesn't 'miss' twice… if you get my drift."

"See? You can threaten people just as good as she can. I smell a match!" He joked.

All James could so was shove his roommate onto his bed plop down into his chair and fold his arms.

"I said it before and I'll say it again. You're a piece of work." He said shaking his head.

Helix fought to keep the laughter bubbling inside him from getting out, but the humor reached his eyes.

"I wish they would just own up and admit they like each other." He thought.

The teasing tone of the room quickly changed as Byron thought back to when Celeste refused to answer his question back at the temple.

"Hey, guys?" He asked. "Remember when I asked Celeste why I didn't see any memories of my past life? I wonder why she just left? She never gave me an answer."

Helix just averted his gaze. He was clearly uncomfortable in answering Byron's question, but James decided to set his friend's mind at ease.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it, man. It's most likely nothing." James reassured. "If it was really something, she would have given some cryptic answer instead of giving you silence."

"Maybe." Byron sighed. He partly agreed with James' reasoning but something about that day still bugged him. "Guys, I think I'll go for a walk. Some fresh air might clear my mind." The other men were about to rib Byron further, but when they saw the serious look in his eyes, they thought better of it.

"Okay, dude." Helix nodded. "Hope you find some answers."

"Thanks. Me, too." Byron said as he grabbed his jacket. It didn't take him long to walk to the plaza where he quickly forgot about Celeste's refusal to answer his question. What replaced that notion were thoughts of a certain flaxen blonde. As he walked through the streets, he brought his fingers to his lips and they seemed to tingle where Karone kissed him.

_"Wow… my first kiss."_ He thought with a silly grin. Visions of the second Galaxy Pink Ranger flooded his mind and impaired his peripheral vision as he bumped into someone nearly knocking them down.

**"Watch it!"** The passerby grumbled as got his balance back, his voice oozing with venom. He looked up to further tell the klutz off and his expression softened. "Oh. Still on Cloud 9, eh?"

The man's voice brought Byron out of his daze and when he saw who it was, he smiled.

"Hmmm? Oh, hey, Nikolas!' Byron smiled. "Yeah, I guess I am. Who wouldn't be after their first kiss from a pretty girl?" He asked wistfully.

"I wouldn't know." Nikolas answered with a nonchalant shrug.

Just as Byron felt a bond with Karone, he felt a strange connection with the newcomer. He felt it since they first met and it was nagging at him the whole time.

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask you this last time, but have we met somewhere before? I just feel like I know you." The irony in that question was staggering since he posed the same question to Mike months ago. Nikolas thought for a moment and looked at the grinning ranger.

"I don't believe we have. But I do feel like I have met you somewhere as well."  
Byron smiled. He loved meeting new people, but Nikolas' earlier statement bothered him.

"Wait… you mean, you've NEVER been kissed? At all?" He asked slightly surprised.

"Is that a problem?" Nikolas posed; he didn't see the importance of such a thing.

"No; you just looked kinda down about it." Byron said simply. "I wouldn't worry, though. You'll find your perfect girl. It might even happen tomorrow." He flashed another smile and Nikolas wondered if this guy was high on life... or something else.

"Why are you so... optimistic? Your constant grinning is disturbing."

Byron toned down his smile, but just a bit.

"I dunno. I just... am." He shrugged. "I know the world isn't all roses and stuff, especially with all the monster attacks going on. But just because all that's going on, it doesn't mean that things won't get better. I still believe there's a glimmer of hope." Byron began. "What happens to me doesn't matter, really. As long as the planet is safe, I'm happy. I just have to believe that everyone can overcome this and we'll have peace again."

Nikolas didn't comment right away. Hope in humanity? What a ludicrous idea. And yet... something about his demeanor made him believe it. Lying through his teeth, he responded.

"Sounds like you have a golden heart. I guess that gives you a good reason for being optimistic. Just tone down the smiles, kay?"

"Can't make any promises." Byron chuckled. "Oh, sorry about not meeting up last time. Wanna try again later today?"

"No promises." He parroted with a small smile.

"Okay. Guess I'll see ya when I see ya." Byron said as he started walking away. "Later, Nikolas!"

"Later." He raised his hand to wave, but then decided against it. He turned to walk in the opposite direction and muttered,

"That guy... is different." He said to himself before walking down an alley.

-

In River End Park, Hannah was sitting under a tree doing some meditation. After the funeral and the monster attack after that, she was physically and emotionally drained. The park was one of the few places where she could recharge both mind and body and after today, she needed it in the worst way. The sun was peeking through the leaves and hitting her face giving her an angelic glow. The glow was interrupted by someone standing in front of her.

"Want some company?" The man asked.

"Hey, Jun." She smiled lightly. "Yeah, I could use some."

The green ranger sat down beside Hannah and crossed his legs like hers.

"What a day, huh?" He asked.

"Yeah. It's one I wish never happened." She sighed. "To be honest, I wish this day was over with."

"Ask and ye shall receive, chica!" Boomed a feminine voice. Soon the sounds of booming explosions followed. Everyone at the park scattered in fear leaving Hannah and Jun alone.

"Who are you!" Jun asked.

"I'm glad you asked, handsome. I am Senor Bambina's sister, Senorita Conchita Miguelita Pajarita! ARRIBA!" She introduced herself and the sound of a flamenco guitar could be heard as she struck a pose. "But you can call me Connie."

Hannah looked over the avian creature with confusion.

"You know the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest?" Hannah asked Jun.

"Yeah."

"I think she's the cuckoo."

"Then, let's pluck her before she causes any more damage." He suggested.

"Oh, that ain't happenin', muchacho!" Senorita Pajarita cackled.

Before either of them could bring out their morphers, a cyclone of blue feathers surrounded them. She vanished and reappeared rapidly, each time, she landed crushing blows to the rangers before they had the chance to even think about morphing. When she was done, Hannah and Jun lay unconscious on the grass.

"Two down, four to go." She laughed as she picked up the helpless rangers and vanished in a flurry of plumage.

-

Back at the apartment…

Senorita Pajarita teleported into the apartment of the other three male rangers and proceeded to ransack the place in her search.

"Ay, carumba!" She shrieked as she looked over the place. "Three GUYS live here? It's so neat! They must be sweeter than sangria." After her failed search, she heard the doorknob moving and quickly hid out of sight. James and Helix walked in with pizza, unaware that they just walked into an ambush. The gold ranger saw the state of disarray the apartment was left in and dropped the pizza boxes.

"Who's here!" Helix called out as his hand went to his waist.

"Let's not waste time waiting for them to answer! **RI-**"

Before James could get the words out, loud trilling echoed through the room as Pajarita fired powerful lasers from her bird shaped hand. The force knocked James and Helix into the wall so hard, their morphers dropped from their hands and they were knocked out. The evil harpy picked up both men and lifted them over her shoulders.

"You boys are muy guapo. It's a shame I have to destroy you soon." She smirked. "Better not leave any evidence. **BAILE DEL FUEGO!**"

She fired shimmering red feathers that set fire to everything they came in contact with. With one last cackle, she vanished. This "bird" of prey was on the hunt, once again.

Just as she disappeared, Byron was on his way back when he sees the smoke pouring from his apartment window and firefighters working hard to control the blaze.

"Oh, my God! James! Helix!" He shouted. He ran as fast as his feet could take him. He had no idea if his friends were trapped inside and was afraid of the answer he might get once he got there. The other tenants had made it out safely but there was no sign of Helix or James. Byron rushed to the front but was stopped by the head firefighter.

"Whoa! You can't go in there, yet!" He said.

"My friends… they're still in there!" Byron shouted as he tried to push past.

While everyone stood outside getting medical help from the EMT's, Nikolas was in the crowd watching curiously when he was hit with a bad headache.

"Red… Ranger…" he groaned as he skulked off into an alley. "He's close by!" The young man's eyes glowed blood red before vanishing in a thick, black mist.

It didn't take long for them to get the fire under control, but they still didn't let Byron inside the building. When the lead firefighter was occupied, Byron snuck in and ran to his apartment.

_"Please, don't be here!"_ He pleaded in his head. He threw open the door to their place and found it in charred ruins. As he hoped, they weren't inside which brought up another question. Where were they? The red ranger scanned the room and gasped when he found his friends' morphers. He got his answer-they were in trouble. He found a secluded spot in the rubble and placed a call on his own morpher.

"Commander Stanton? We have a problem!"

-

Somewhere in the jungle…

Senorita Pajarita was on the prowl for her next target.

"She must be here somewhere." She snarled. She was about to pull back a branch when she was kicked form behind by a pink blur.

**"LEAVE OR SUFFER!"** Tacari growled. She was in a crouched position like a tigress ready to pounce.

"How about… Neither!" She swooped forward, blue feather flying around her. But Tacari quickly jumped into the air and avoided the advance.

**"RIDE THE NOVA!"** She shouted as she morphed. She front flipped over the harpy and landed on her feet with strider drawn. The pink amazon wasted no time in confronting Pajarita. The two ladies clashed in a flurry of feminine fury. Can you say "cat fight"?

"I must admit, you have some skills, Chiquita!" Pajarita smirked. "But ruffle my feathers and you pay the price! **VENTISCA DE LAS PLUMAS! ANDALE!**"

Blue feathers surrounded Tacari in a cyclone and exploded as they hit her body. The pink amazon tried to summon her Celestial Fan but the swirling feathers closed in and shrouded her inside a cocoon of exploding plumage. When they vanished, she was unmorphed and unconscious. The sadistic harpy picked up Tacari and looked down at her.

"You fight well, chica. But not good enough." Pajarita smirked as she added another ranger to her collection of hostages.

******************************************************

Meanwhile…

Celeste was in the main chamber of her star and was monitoring everything through her viewing crystal. She watched helplessly as Jun, Hannah, James, Helix and even Tacari were overpowered and taken hostage by the menacing avian. She observes the flight path Pajarita takes after each capture and figures out where she is keeping the rangers.

"The time has come." She whispers to herself as she contacts Byron through her mental link. "Byron. I know where the others are."

Back on Miranoi, Byron hears Celeste's voice in his head and closes his eyes.

"Where are they? What happened to them?" He asked worriedly.

"A sinister creature named Senorita Pajarita was sent to capture the rangers. They're being held captive on an asteroid traveling in the opposite revolution to my star. You must hurry!"

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Byron said with conviction as he took out his Stroke Morpher. **"RIDE THE NOVA!"**

He quickly morphs and jumps onto his comet. The fiery body speeds through space with the Red Ranger urging it forward. As he zooms through the cosmos, a black comet crosses in front of him nearly knocking him off balance. The fiery body flies next to Byron long enough for the red ranger to see who nearly collided with him.

"You!" Byron snarled as he drew his strider. "Who are you!"

The skeletal entity glared at Byron before answering.

"My name is Juzo and, as I told you before… I'm the shadow of your existence!" He growled. "Since our meeting in the jungle, I've waited for another chance to kill you!" He drew his serrated katana and swung it at him, fully intent on taking his head.

"Whoa!" Byron brings up his sword just in time to block the attack. "Like last time, I don't have time for you, right now!" Byron grunted as he retaliated with a swing of his own blade.

Soon both warriors were locked in a deadly dance as their blades glistened in the twinkling starlight. The fight was throwing Byron's comet off course, leading him further and further away from Pajarita's asteroid. Each man poured everything they had into their battle. One had the motivation of saving his friends, the other… ending the red ranger's life once and for all. When their sword fight was about to reach its climax, a flash of golden radiance separates the two combatants and forces them to crash into the asteroid with deafening explosions. When the smoke cleared, both men were laid out on the ground unconscious. Most of their energy was expended during their mid-flight sword fight. Byron was the first to come around with Juzo reviving soon after. With their energy depleted, they were no longer able to keep their morphs together. When they both powered down, each man expressed great shock to the other's true identity.

"Nikolas? YOU'RE Juzo?" He asked with wide eyes.

"YOU'RE the Red Ranger!" Nikolas asked, mimicking Byron's surprise.

"No wonder I felt like we've met before! YOU'VE BEEN TRYING TO KILL ME!" Byron yelled.

"Never mind him and get us out of here!" Tacari shouted.

Byron looked over his shoulder and saw that she and the other rangers were badly battered and bruised. What was more unsettling was the fact that they were being held in a large birdcage suspended in the air. The power emanating from it kept them from escaping and morphing.

"Guys!"

Byron ran towards the cage but stopped when an orb of white light landed in front of him.

"Celeste?" Byron gasped.

"Don't touch the bars!" She stressed.

"But how am I supposed to save them?" He asked in frustration.

The cosmic mentor was about to answer when Pajarita rolled her R's and appeared in front of the cage.

"Ay, chica! Why'd you have to spoil my fiesta?" The harpy growled. "You're just in time to break the piñata! Who wants to go first? How about you, ese?" She asked Nikolas.

"You won't touch them!" Celeste ordered. She seemed to glow as she glared at the feathery mercenary.

"And what are you gonna do to stop me, chica? Invite me to a white sale?" She scoffed.

"No. I'm going to do this!"

Celeste grabbed her robes and pulled them from her body to reveal a form fitting white outfit… and her face. She was a stunning beauty with dark brown hair and eyes. What surprised everyone even more was her next actions. She pulls out a white Stroke Morpher and shouts…

**"RIDE THE NOVA!"**

She radiates a white light as she draws Byron's star symbol towards the sky. Red stars fell from the heavens and merged with her white light making her uniform and helmet. It was exactly like Byron's except it had a skirt like the girls' outfits.

**"FIERY AS THE PLANET'S CORE! GALAXY STRIDER RED!"**

Stunned. That was the only word used to describe Byron's facial expression. He was nearly rendered speechless as well but his desire to know the truth ruled everything else.

"What the HELL is going on!" He shouted.

Celeste looked at Byron and spoke in an even tone.

"While I was healing, I knew the threat of Reapus' return was all too real so I had to take action." She began. "I split my shadow from my physical form and endowed it with half of my power. The shadow quickly developed free will independent of my own and reincarnated into the current wielder of the red ranger powers-you."

NOW Byron was speechless. He was a shadow… a puppet of sorts.

"WHAT THE HELL!" James growled angrily. "You pick NOW to tell us all this!"

"I can't believe you kept this from us all this time!" Hannah chimed in.

Helix just shook his head in shame as Tacari expressed her rage for the both of them.

"What's worse is you felt you couldn't confide in us! That's much worse than any treachery!" She snarled.

"I'm so mad, I really have nothing to say to you!" Jun said rounding out everyone's disgust.

Celeste looked at the stunned Byron and made no effort to comfort him. No words of reassurance left her lips as Pajarita taunted.

"Oh, Boo frickin' Hoo!" She sneered. "I don't really care which guardabosques rojo I destroy first. Just as long as I get back in time to watch my favorite telenovela!"

"I doubt that will happen!"

Celeste drew her Strider and slashed Pajarita as she got close. The cat fight between the two quickly escalated. Pajarita gained an advantage when she attacked with her favorite maneuver.

**"BAILE DEL FUEGO!"**

Towers of flames surrounded Celeste and began to close in on her.

"I see you want to fight fire with fire. As you wish!" Celeste smirked as she pulled out something that would whip the rangers into a frenzy. **"OMEGA TERMINAL!"**

The black device appeared in her hand in an orb of light. She presses the button; the golden emblem grew and shot into the sky like a rocket before it formed the image of a robe-like garment. The image burst into hundreds of stars before the shimmering points of light merged onto Celeste's body. When the light faded, the red ranger stood in a robe trimmed in gold with and upturned collar and flared tails that reached the ground.

**"BURNING HOTTER THAN THE SUN! OMEGA STRIZER RED!"**

The new red ranger then places the Star Disc ALPHA into the terminal and spins it.

**"AURORA BLADE! OMEGA MODE!"**

Swirling flames surrounded the blade and with a mighty swing, the flames around her dissipated into nothing. She ran towards Pajarita and resumed the fight with renewed vigor. On the other end of the spectrum, Byron fell to his knees. He felt like the air was let out of him when he heard the truth.

_"Was my life nothing but a lie? Am I just her tool… her pawn?"_ He thought in despair. The others scream at him in an attempt to snap him out of his stupor, but it was no use. There seemed to be no consoling the broken red ranger. Nikolas's gaze shifted from the fight, to the captive rangers, to the shattered ranger on his knees. The sight of the once optimistic ranger on his knees sickened him. Nikolas, despite having deep hatred for the red ranger, saw Byron as a friend and stepped in to help. He grabbed the forlorn ranger by the collar and slapped him hard across the face.

**"SNAP OUT OF IT, YOU CRYBABY!"** He spat out. "You're just gonna shrink into nothing because of what she told you! You said it didn't matter what happened to you. As long as the planet was safe! Isn't that what you told me!" When Byron didn't answer, Nikolas shook him. "You're nothing but a hypocrite. You talk a good game but when it really counts, you fold like a house of cards! You make me sick!"

Byron was about to shut down emotionally when all of a sudden, a golden light encompasses the entire asteroid. Everyone is thrown into disarray, except for Byron and Nikolas.

"What-"

"What's going on?"

Both Byron and Nikolas were awestruck when the Golden Knight appeared before them.

"It is now time." He said simply.

"Time for what?" Byron asked.

The golden warrior looked to the young man and nodded. It was a small gesture but it let the red ranger know that things would all be revealed.

"I am Orion." He replied. "I am here because it is time for you to take your rightful place, young man. You have grown into a fierce warrior."

Byron looked up at the shimmering warrior and felt ashamed to gaze upon him. He lowered his head and sighed.

"What warrior? I'm nothing but her shadow!" Byron shouted unintentionally. "You know what a shadow is? It's nothing. No substance, no will, no meaning. They can't exist without its solid counterpart. Basically everything about me is a lie!"

Orion shakes his head and places his hand on Byron's shoulder.

"My dear young one. Celeste may have contributed to half of your soul... but what of the other half?"

"My other half?" Byron asked in a hushed tone. "I don't understand what you mean."

"At the end of the last war, I had to use the last bit of my power to seal Reapus and his minions to the ends of the universe. As such, my soul needed to recuperate much like Celeste's body. She gave you your body; I gave you your soul." Byron tried to wrap his brain around what Orion said. "So, in essence, you are the spiritual successor to Celeste and myself."

Byron was stunned again, but this time, it was for a completely different reason. He was amazed at what Orion had revealed to him. He was the successor to Celeste and Orion.

"Okay, you're gonna have to excuse me." Byron gasped. "This is a lot to take in at one time."

"There is much to do and little time, young one." Orion stressed. He summons the Omega Terminal and opens it up. "The terminal is powered by a special star core."

The golden knight takes out the small star. It may have been tiny in size, but the power it held was immeasurable. Moments after being taken out, the star changes shape and takes the form of a red star disc.

"What I hold in my hands is the Lambda Disc. This is the terminal's energy in its rawest form." He explains. "The power is unrestrained by the confines of the device and it will increase the power of the Omega transformation tenfold."

Byron's brown eyes widened as Orion looked upon his successor.

"The war is nearing its final stages, young one!" Orion hands the red ranger the new star disc and begins to fade away.

"Wait! Will I see you again."

"You may. Remember that you are my successor, Byron… the King of the stars. Inherit my power!"

Just like when he was in the black void with the golden knight, Byron's face was not that of a bright-eyes optimist. It was the face of a fierce warrior. His eyes burned with such intensity, it could make the sun fade into the darkness. He watched as Celeste fought Pajarita and, with determination, he pulled out his morpher and shouted:

**"RIDE THE NOVA!"**

He drew his star symbol and quickly morphed into the Red Ranger.

**"STAR DISC LAMBDA!"** He placed the new disc onto the hilt of his strider and spun it. Byron swung the sword in a circle of fire and lightning. The energy adhered to his body and formed a robe much like the Omega Mode. The big difference was that instead of being all white with gold trim, it was a shimmering red satin with gold trim.

**"CHANNELING THE STARS, THEMSELVES! LAMBDA STRIZER KING!"**

The immense energy radiating from his body caused Nikolas to react to it. His body flickers from his human form to his Juzo form as the energy from Byron merges them into a whole new entity. Nikolas transformed into a red suit like Byron's but his robe was black with gold trim.

**"INESCAPEABLE AS A BLACK HOLE! DARK STRIZER RED!"** Nikolas shouted as he relished his new power. "This power! I never felt anything like it!"

Byron looked down at his sword and saw that its form had changed as well. It resembled a red lightning-shaped dragon with blue trim. Nikolas saw that he was now holding an identical sword.

"This is your Lambda Strider. It is much more powerful than your regular strider and has a hidden ability you might enjoy." Orion said in Byron's mind.

The fight between Celeste and Pajarita was taking a turn for the worse for the stellar mentor.

"You can't beat me, chica! I am the supreme diva on this rock! And I'll prove it to you!" Pajarita scoffed as she unleashed another wave of feathers. **"VENTISCA DE LAS PLUMAS! ANDALE!"**

The blizzard of feathers was coming towards Celeste and were about to make contact, but two swords crossed in front of her. The feathers disintegrated when they got too close to the energy they radiated.

"AY! What's the deal, gringo!" She snarled.

Both red rangers glared at Pajarita and pointed their swords at her.

"It's time you took a permanent siesta, chica!" Byron and Nikolas shot back. If anyone looked at them now, you'd swear they were twins.

"I know you didn't just go there, chicos!" Pajarita snarled. "Feel my wrath, rangers! You'll be sizzling like fajitas in no time! **BAILE DEL FUEGO! ANDALE!**"

Before she got the change to summon her flames.

"Dance to this!" Byron retorted. Both his and Nikolas' Lambda striders glowed with power as the eyes in the dragon blades flashed with life. **"LAMBDA STRIDERS!** **DANCING DRAGONS!"** They shouted in stereo.

Both rangers swung their swords and, to everyone's astonishment, they began to stretch like rubber. What's more amazing was that the swords acted like they were alive. The dragon blades whipped around Pajarita slashing her from every conceivable direction. First her wings were severed, then the feathers draped over her head. Shrieks of pain rang out as both blades continued to slash at the sinister harpy.

"Your goose is cooked!" Byron replied.

"Literally!" Nikolas added. Both striders began to glow red and Pajarita was now begging for her life.

"W-w-wait! Before you kill me… give Enrique Iglesias my number! Marc Anthony's married."

"Adios, chica!" Byron and Nikolas lifted their blades and shouted. **"LAMBDA STRIDERS!** **DRACHEN FIRE!"**

In a synchronized move, both swords stretched and criss-crossed. They intertwined before the fire they generated shot out engulfing Pajarita.

**"AY! BESA ME CULO!"** She shouted as she fell forward. She exploded in a plume of fire never to return.

With another swing of the swords, they cut through the energy bars and freed the other rangers. Byron looked over to Nikolas who stepped backwards. He vanished in a black mist but his voice echoed.

"We will meet again, Red Ranger."

The rangers, who were being helped out of the cage, looked over to Celeste who powered down. The looks on their faces didn't show any favor.

"Rangers, I am truly sorry for keeping such a secret from all of you. But I had my reasons." When she saw that none of them were willing to speak, she continued. "I know that that is no excuse and I do hope you all find it in your hearts to forgive me."

Byron looked at his celestial mentor whose eyes held real remorse. That was enough for Byron.

"I forgive you, Celeste. But right now, I think we need to get off this rock before it turned into a pebble." He was worried for his friends, but moreso about Nikolas.

"Agreed. Gather round." She gently ordered.

As the rangers crowded around her, Celeste sang a haunting note and everyone was engulfed in an orb of light. The orb flew off of the asteroid seconds before it disintegrates into the planet's atmosphere.

-

_The rangers avoided death by nanoseconds and everything Celeste had been trying to hide had come to light. Now that there are no more secrets, where do they go from here? And is this really the end of the secrets? Stay tuned for the next episode of __**Power Rangers: GALAXY STRIDERS!**_

=====

End of Act 16


	17. Everything's Relative

**Chapter 17: Everything's Relative**

2 weeks. That's how much time had passed since the last battle on that fateful asteroid. The rangers were enjoying their own peace, relieved that everything was out on the table. No one more so than Celeste, who was more comfortable with talking with her rangers out of battle. The red jewel that hung above her shimmered as the optimistic Byron stood in front of her.

"So... you and Orion?" Celeste nodded with a sigh. She spoke wistfully.

"Indeed... He was... entrancing. Such a wonderful man. Fearsome, eloquent. Everything that I had wished for." She looked on, towards a painting of an opaque golden knight riding across a boundless landscape. She wondered aloud. "But to hear you are my successor as well as Orion's... that was surprising in and of itself."

"You're telling me." Byron remembered the entire scene vividly. "That reminds me," he continued, "exactly what did he mean when he said I was the new king of the stars?" Celeste chuckled a bit, before answering.

"Precisely what he said. You are his successor. You are the king of all the stars in the universe. The Lambda disk is proof of this." Byron shifted through his belongings until he took it out. Like many of his other disks, it was red, with a unique and archaic design.

"This thing, huh?" His mind trailed back to the asteroid, and consequently, to Nikolas. In truth, he wasn't so mad with him anymore. Just concerned. He wasn't like any enemies they had fought. A part of him was saying that it wasn't right to fight him, while the other was urging to hunt him down. It left his thoughts confused and entangled.

"Byron?" asked a slightly concerned Celeste. Dropping back to reality, the young man shook his head and quickly answered.

"Oh, sorry about that. Was thinking about something else." She nodded, accepting this and not prying. Byron looked out into the endless void of space. This was simply vexing him...

******************************************************

"I can't, Commander." replied a very exasperated Jun. He was standing in a very simple office, furbished with only necessities required by the officer. Sitting behind a desk, in a chair of unique design, was the statuesque figure of Commander Stanton. His hands folded, his arms lying neatly on the desk in front of him. He drew breath and answered his subordinate.

"Jun... I know that it may be too soon, but as a leader of this colony, I need to do what's in the best interest of the public. And with the loss of Officer Corbett..." He glanced down at a photo on the desk. It was of him, along with the entire team of Lost Galaxy rangers. "I need someone I can depend on. I need you to become my right hand, in honor of Officer Corbett." Jun looked down, not knowing what to think. Should he accept it? It was entirely a new ballgame to him, and had the potential to end severely. He looked at the Commander again, wondering what he was thinking.

His muscles were tense and his eyes were narrow, as if tunnels. Looking into them, he felt it. A deep loneliness. Something he was quite familiar with before he met them... reaching out, he placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I... I accept your terms Commander." Commander Stanton didn't exactly smile, but something was definitely lighter in his expression.

"Thank you.. Officier Seiling." Jun saluted the commander. After accepting Mike's position, which was a great honor, he walked out of the Command Tower to take stock of things. it would mean leaving his position in the archaeology department he loved, but this was an opportunity he couldn't pass up, nor would he.

A few feet away, a fit of laughing could be heard. "You're very funny Helix. Glad I have some company on my day off."

"Well, I couldn't let you spend it alone." Helix chuckled. "Oh, I have to tell you about the time Andros, Zhane and I tried to tame these Tangarian Quarter Stallions on KO-35..." He laughed as he told her the story. With sense as sharp as a hawk, Jun craned his neck back. His eye started twitching.

"This guy is starting to be a thorn in my side." With a huff, he began to walk speededly towards the two. Hannah laughed and noticed that Jun was walking towards them.

"Oh, hey, Jun." She said with her warm smile. Jun returned her smile and wedged himself between her and Helix, slightly pushing Helix aside with his elbow.

"Hi Hannah. How's things?"

"I'm fine. Helix was just telling stories of all his travels." She smiled. Jun briefly glanced at Helix with a cold stare. "Did he now... I'm sure he must have been quite the adventurer."

"It's just amazing how many planet's he's visited. he's even taken trips to Earth a few times."

"It's just a few stories." Helix shrugged with a chuckle

"And I'm sure you'll have plenty more by the time this little war is over." dismissed Jun. "Romance ain't one of them." he muttered so that neither of them heard.

Hannah observed their behavior and had a feeling their strife had something to do with her. "So... are you free?" She asked them both. In a strange cosmic way, both men said "Yes!" at the same time. Jun motioned to Helix.

"This is going to be settled today." He whispered to Helix. Hannah smiled at them both

"Good. I've always wanted to go on a hot air balloon ride over the city and I booked one. Let's go."

"Sure." Jun agreed and followed Hannah and walked along her right side.

"I'm game." Helix said as he walked along her left side. As the trio walked to the balloon field just outside the city, Jun and Helix kept glaring daggers at each other. One way or another, someone would win hannah's heart. little did any of them know, someone else would throw their two cents in. Watching them from the side, a figure leaned against the back of a wall, his eyes trailing the trio. As silent as he came, he walked in the opposite direction of them...

********************************************************

Back on the ship of the merry band of demons, another defeat was handed to the nefarious crew... and big boy red wasn't happy.

"CELESTE! Oh, she is a crafty one!" Reapus snarled. "And again, the rangers grow stronger!" Shadius fanned himself a bit sporadically.

"This is the worst case scenario. They have aqcuired too much power. Any more and the possibility we will lose will become more real..." Reapus started to glow a bright red as he fumed.

"There's not a single monster capble of destroying those accursed rangers! Enough of this! I'm going to take care of this myself! If I can destroy the galaxy rangers, i can take out a few children!"

Shadius placed a hand on his chin. "As much as I would find your defeat stunning Reappy-boy, I'm under the impression your wound isn't completely healed. And if history teaches us anything, you will end up on death row." As much as he hated to admit it, and he REALLY hated it, Shadius was right.

"So be it. What do you propose we do?" Shadius wondered for a moment.

"It's obvious a rank and file monster won't do. We need something different... something powerful... we need something... something..."

A wisp of wind blew by, "Something devious?" suggested a new voice.

"Why yes! How did..." He turned to find that a stranger had entered their ranks. "What is this?" Crescenda stopped playing long enough to look up at the new arrival.

"And who might you be?" Kalamax asked. Ignoring the small sushi dish, the figure walked by, admiring the ship. "Well... you guys certainly have a hatred for those rangers. Perhaps I can be of assistance?"

"And what can you bring to the table that the others have not?" Crescenda asked

The figure laughed. "I can do many things. But first... how about we disable those pesky powers?" Everyone there widened their eyes,

"Can you really do that?" Shadius asked like a little kid in a candy store. The figure nodded.

"Very simple. I just need a distraction to keep said annoyances at bay while I work my magic."

"We shall handle the distraction." Reapus offered. "Just make sure those rangers don't have a leg to stand on."

"You want the arms too?" He added as a quip.

"Oh, nice one!" Shadius chuckled in approval.

"Well then, if you excuse me, I need to visit a certain celestial body... The rangers won't be able to defend themselves once I'm finished." Crescenda gasped when she realized what he meant.

"You know where it is?" Crescenda asked. "We have been unable to find it."

"Yes. As a Rider... I can transverse dimensions. Finding a small star is nothing."

"Then, go. We'll occupy the rangers* Reapus agreed.

"You're sooo kind." He responded as he disappeared in a wall of gray energy. Once he was gone, the villains continued their talk.

"Are you sure we can trust him, my lord?" Kalamax asked.

"We are running out of options... and even if he betrays us, I have an ace up my sleeve for him." Kalamax nodded in agreement. He hated to resort to outside sources, but Reapus was right. they were running out of options... and time. Reapus walked over to the cracked wall that overlooked the deep end of the lake.

"And now... Abscorbin, appear to me!" From the water swam a hideous sight. It was like a giant gorgon, with many eyes opening to them. Shifting it's form, it sprouted legs, letting it's many eyes go down it's appendeages. On his shoulder and head were it's main body armor, which resembled hair, but rock hard as steel.

"You called Reapus?"

Reapus grinned. "Yes. I need you to go to the surface and create a diversion. If you meet the rangers, destroy them or keep them in place. I don't want this to be messed up."

The monster bowed. "As you... wish. Master."

"Let's hope this is what we need to turn things back in our favor." Crescenda commented.

"Indeed." replied Shadius.

*******************************************************

Elsewhere... It was a beautiful day... pleasent conditons, quite lovely for a flight. In fact, if it were a calm day, some would say that the romantic atomosphere was perfect... and yet there was a chill in the air. The trio of rangers made their way through the city, the girl sandiched between them slightly unaware of the thoughts of the two beside her.

_"Why does he have to keep butting into our business?"_ Jun thought. _"Okay, we did need his help, but did he have to make Hannah swoon over him?"_ Over on the left...

_"Man, this guy's annoying. I almost had this date in the bag too."_ Helix thought himself. Hannah looked at the large rainbow balloon in front of them.

"Oh, look at it. Isn't it pretty?"

"Beautiful" Both guys said... although their attention was on her, NOT the balloon.

"Then let's go!' She exclaimed happily. She stepped forward, towards the multi-colored ballon. A water blast stopped her, blasting her back. "Ahhh!"

"Nice to meet ya..." The monster appeared. In all it's multi-eyed glory. The boys snapped out of their stupor and called out to her.

"Hannah!" Jun and Helix shouted. Both stood protectively in front of her... but were also trying to shove the other out of the way. They both wanted to be her savior.

"Will you move?" Jun grumbled.

"If you move first Romeo." Helix spat back.

"Um.. guys! big scary water shooting monster at 12 o'clock!" Hannah shouted as she got up.

"Huh?" Both guys looked. The monster wagged his finger.

"You guys need more focus. Let me teach you how it's done... HYDRO SEER!" From his eyes shot forth dozens of waterblasts. The two lovesick rangers weren't prepared, and thus, it was no surprise they were thrown on the ground. The monster chuckled. "You're all wet eh?"

"Okay, not only are you ugly, your puns need work!" Helix snarled as he got up, his clothes drenched. The monster sighed.

"Everyone's a critic. I hate critics." The monster prepared another onslot.

"Morphing would be a good idea!" suggested Hannah, amazed the two guys were slow to get to it.

"Oh, yeah, right! RIDE-" It was then that Helix pushed Jun out of the way.

"HEY! What is your malfunction!" Jun asked angrily.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Helix looked away. "Now if you excuse me, SUPERNOVA RIDE-" Vindictiveness runs deep. Especially in matters of love. Jun pushed him back. "What the heck man!" Hannah just looked on in disbelief.

"Trouble in paradise boys?" The monster sneered.

Hannah looked to them, then looked back. "I don't know what's going on, but RIDE THE NOVA!" She morphed and drew her sabre. Unfortunately, the other two didn't seem to notice this though...

"Ladies first then! Have a taste of my AQUEOUS SPEARS!" From the top of his crown, the armor which doubled as hair shot out towards the yellow ranger.

"AAAAAAHH!" Hannah screamed. THAT snapped the guys out of their fight.

"Ah, dammit! RIDE THE NOVA!" called Jun, running forward while morphing.

"SUPERNOVA! RIDE ON!" Helix shouted as he did the same.

"Sorry, did I strike a nerve?" The monster smirked. "Well, I guess I can play with you guys too. AQUEOUS SPEARS!" As the steel spears shot from him, Helix drew his sword and it glowed with golden energy.

"SHOOTING STAR BARRAGE!" Not letting him get all the glory, Jun drew his own sword.

"AURORA BLADE!" Jun leaped into the air, spinning his sword. As the green energy gathered, he pushed Helix out of the way to get a better shot.

"HEY!" Helix grumbled as he used his speed to outrun Jun

"Unlucky for you boys, I'm well-equipped for large groups... HYDRO SEER!" Along with his steel-like tentacles, he fired water bombs from his eyes.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Both rangers got hit severely, the hurricane-like force knocked them backwards, way past Hannah.

"How you managed to defeat my brothers time and again is a mystery to me... I think I'll take some revenge right now." He moved towards them eagerly.

"CELESTIAL FAN!" A huge gale of wind blasted forth from apparently no where. The whipped up gale caused the monster's many eyes to shut.

"Ah! DRY EYE!" The monster moved back, massaging his eyes. "GET ME SOME CLEAR EYES!"

"Guys! are you okay!" Byron asked as he and the others arrived in the nick of time. Jun and Helix turned away from each other.

"Just fine." He muttered. James glanced at them both and had a look of confusion.

"Um... did I miss something here?" He asked. Hannah shook her head.

"Search me. These guys have been acting weird all morning!"

"Well, they better get it together! This one is stronger than the rest." Tacari said solemnly. The monster covered itself in water.

"That hurt... No one hurts my eyes and gets away with it. HYDRO SEER, AQUEOUS SPEARS!" As the barrage renewed, Byron went to the head of the group and spun his disk, turning his strider into his weapon of choice.

"NOVA BIHANDER!"  
"CELESTIAL FAN!"

The two rangers gathered energy from their elements and fired a giant tornado of fire. The two attacks met the monster's. When they met, a large explosion generated, blowing both sides back. Tacari got up first and turned to the other two.

"If you two can't get over your pettiness to fight, step back!" Tacari ordered

"Tch. I'm not staying back." said Jun. He spun his disk. "ASTRAL LANCE!" He rushed the monster, the blade ready to puncture it. The monster smiled.

"Idiots will be idiots. WATERWALL!" from his body, a spherical shield of water poured out, pushing the ranger, and the other attacks, away.

"AQUOS HATCHET!" Helix shouted as he rushed in. "Watch how a pro does it!" The monster shook his head.

"You never do learn. One on one combat is useless!" He geared up for another assault. If the rangers wanted to survive, they'd have to relearn their teamwork... and soon.

**************************************************************

Meanwhile... on a familiar looking star, a gray wall of energy appeared. Out of it stepped our mysterious blue friend. He looked around and whistled. "Dang... this rock must be worth millions in jewels." As he walked through the crystal caves, he sensed a presence behind him.

"You're tresspassing! Leave here at once!" Celeste said, her white gown flowing as she walked.

He smirked. "Oh don't worry, I won't be here long... I'm just here to pick something up."

"And that would be?" She asked, taking a defensive stance. "Whatever it is, you won't leave here alive with it." Not taking her threat to heart, he simply answered her.

"Oh nothing much... just the little Star Core you have stashed here. Without that... your rangers won't have powers now will they?"

"I won't allow you to take it!" Celeste shouted as she pulled out her morpher. "RIDE THE NOVA!" The figure turned sharply and a gun materialized.

"Sorry, I don't like confrontations." He pulled a card out from his belt and slid it into the gun. "BARRAGE!" As if like a rapid machinegun, dozens of energy bullets rained from his weapon. Celeste showed great agility as she dodged the bullets and morphed in mid dive. She called for her strider and deflected the ones she couldn't evade.

"Then you came to the wrong place! NOVA BIHANDER!" She knew she had to protect the core at all costs. Without it, the rangers would be defenseless...and she would be, too. The figure glanced at the large sword.

"Hmmm... looks like that would be a pain to wield." He slid another card into his gun. "HOMING!" He fired another round of energy bullets, this time all concentrated on one target.

"It's easier than you think." Celeste said as she charged forward. She had a sneaking feeling about those cards and charted her moves carefully. The bullets deflected off her engorged sword and the figure wasn't pleased.

"Tch... Fine." He placed one more card into his gun. "FINAL RIDE!" His weapon began to glow a brilliant green. Around the barrel appeared many cards, becoming larger and larger until it was a great diameter. "It was nice knowing you... not." He shouted over the buzzing energy. Without dragging it out anymore, he pulled the trigger. "FIRE!" With a thunderous roar, the blast fired from the weapon, screaming with speed at it's target. It was safe to say that no one wanted to be on it's recieving end. And Celeste was no different. With quick reflexes, she used the bihander as a vault to catapult herself over the blast. She came down slashing hard with her weapon

"Ah, DAMN!" swore the figure as he quickly slid another card into his gun. "INVISIBLE!" At once, his entire appearence disappeared, just in time for the blade to miss him, causing the bihander to crash into the rocky floor, causing an indent.

"Almost!" she said to herself as she tried to focus. She had to find him and fast. And with him being invisible, it was going to be that much harder. "Aura Veil!" Her eyes glowed a shimmering blue. She scanned her area to find any trace of the intruder. Her eyes caught the sight of a blue flash, heading fast towards the main chamber. She ran quickly to catch up to him.

Another voice, this time behind her, spoke. "Relax." She whipped her head around to find the source.

"Who's there?" She asked, demanding an answer. Out of a gray wall of energy appeared another figure. This one was a shade lighter than red, having colors of white and black to accent it. He bowed slightly. "Forgive me. I don't normally trespass into other's homes, but I think this belongs to you." He placed a small orb into her hands. "Forgive Jin. He's abit of an exhibitionist." Celeste's eyes widened in shock. The core was safe.

"Thank you. But-but how... how did..." She stammered.

"My friend has an unfortunate habit of going after priceless treasures... I simply got it ahead of time while you and he had that skirmish."

"I can't thank you enough. If this had fallen into the wrong hands, it would have been a catastrophe." Celeste said heaving a sigh of relief. "And these crystals, they're more than just jewels, they're filled with life energy."

"Ah... well, if you'll pardon me... I must go see my daughter. Seems like she and her friends are having a tough time." With a nod, he slipped away.

"His...daughter?" She wondered to herself. "Who was he?"

*************************************************************

Meanwhile, in the main chamber itself. The figure of the rider materialized from his invisibility. He looked to the end of the room, where a pedestal was standing. He gritted his teeth.

"Damn that Ishinaba. He must have got here before I did..." He thought about this for a moment. He looked to the monitor and saw the rangers engage the enemy. He shrugged.

"I guess I'll go help them. Not like there's anything to do here." He went away, transporting through a wall of energy.

************************************************************

Back on the green-hued planet of Miranoi, the rangers aren't working as well as they usually do. This was mostly due to a certain green and gold ranger thinking with their hearts instead of their heads.

"This is getting ridiculous!" groaned James. As much as he loved the water, he didn't care for being sopping wet and on the floor.

"I agree. We'd have a better time of this if two of our rangers weren't in heat!" Tacari snarled.

Jun shook his head. "Please. We're just fine. It's the golden boy here that's holding us back!"

"ME! Look who's talking, Bookworm!" Helix shot back. Hannah struggled to stand and pushed them both apart.

"WILL... YOU...STOP! My kindergarten kids are better behaved then you are!" Helix bit his lip.

"He started it." he muttered.

"REAL mature!" Jun taunted. If it werent for the helmet, everyone would see him stick his tongue out like a 3-year old

"MEN!" Hannah shouted in exasperation.

The monster clapped his hands. "If I knew I was watching my soaps today, I would've brought the popcorn!" Hannah sighed.

"I NEVER thought I'd say this, but I actually wish papa was here." As if on cue, a slew of bullets blew into the monster, making him fall back.

"OH GOD THE AGONY! SOMEONE CALL AN OPTHAMOLOGIST!" He said, most of his eyes closed. All of the rangers looked to find the source of the bullets. Tacari vaguely recognixed the figure.

"You were there after our fight with Twixic." She said. The figure walked towards them.

"Indeed... I just tilted the battle in your favor. You had that fight finished, you just needed a bit of a help."

"WE had it finished?" James asked in disbelief. "You mean we almost WERE finished."

He dismissed him. "Warriors don't complain. Grow a backbone." He then turned to the lovestruck rangers. "And from what I've seen of you two... you're both morons."

"THANK YOU!" Tacari exclaimed. "Someone with wisdom." He bowed slightly.

"Truly a goddess among amazons. I admire your ability miss." Tacari bowed in return.

"From one warrior to another, I thank you." Byron pointed to himself.

"And... me?" The warrior didn't answer for a moment.

"You're optimism disgusts me... but I would be lying if I said you weren't a good leader."

"Um... thanks I guess?" Byron really didn't know how to handle that backwards compliment.

The figure continued, "And... it's nice to see you again Hana." The yellow ranger dropped her weapon and her hand shook like a leaf. only one person called her that.

"Pa-papa?" she whispered. "Is that really you?"

"PAPA!" They all shouted in surprise. Jun gulped in horror like Byron did during the knife throwing and Jun... well thanks to the helmet, nobody could see him turn white as a ghost.

_"Oh, CRAP!"_ both guys thought.

"I take it this is a surprise. I can't say I blame you. Kamen Riders are a secret lot... no one outside of a select few know of our existence."

"Kamen..." Byron began  
"...Riders?" James finished.

"As much as I'd love to hear about them, we have some unfinished business to tend to." Tacari said pointing to the monster who wished he brought goggles.

"Agreed." replied the rider as he opened his gun into a sword form. "With half of his eyes blinded, he isn't much of a threat, so go on the offensive."

"Right!" Byron agreed as he rallied his teammates. Tacari then addressed the green and gold rangers.

"Will you two be able to bury the hatchet long enough to bury it in HIM!" Jun swallowed hard. This wasn't going to be easy to say, but he whispered to Helix,

"For right now, we can't look like idiots in front of Hannah's father... he doesn't look like the type to tolerate petty fighting."

Helix nodded. "Gotcha man... doesn't mean our rivalry is over though."

Jun grinned. "Not by a long shot." Both rangers stood together and joined the rest. Byron smiled.

"Good! Now, for the finisher! NOVA BIHANDER! BURST MODE!" Ascorbin saw what they were planning and called out, in desperation, "GRIMLINGS! SURROND THEM!" The familiar clamouring of fish heads came out of nowhere, and the team of seven were surronded.

"Coward." commented Sosuke as he prepared himself. There was no need however, as the first batch of henchmen exploded on their own. Looking for the cause, he looked up. Under the mask he smiled. "Looks like my friend got bored with his treasure hunt."

"Okay...what was that? Casper the kick$$ ghost?" James asked. In a familiar blue suit, the rider called Jin appeared from nowhere.

"Heh... that's a new one."

"It happens every blue moon." Tacari joked. Abscorbin grinned.

"Oh... you're the one Reapus made that agreement with!" He opened his main eye. "You should never make deals with devils!" Jin smirked.

"Please. I killed worse." Tacari looked like she could spit nails.

"Did I hear right? He's in league with our enemy... and he's helping us!"

"Girl please... I do the things I do out of boredom. Nothing personal."

"I'd hate to see what you do when you're NOT bored." Tacari said. She never held her tongue before and wasn't about to start now.

"Okay, NOVA BIHANDER BURST MODE! Take 2!" Byron shouted.

"Now then, let's try something new! AQUA SEALING!" His main eye glowed white as a chain of energy surronded and locked around the blue rider.

"What the hell?" he shouted.

"Papa, what's hapenning to him?" Hannah asked.

"Hana, I've no idea, but!" He moved to cut the chain. The monster contracted it and the rider turned into an energy ball. As if absorbing him, the monster combined himself with Jin.

"Okay, that's not good." Helix said with dread.

"How can we fight that thing when it has blue dude inside of him!" James asked with worry.

"He likes to use water... perhaps if we dehydrate him?" Tacari suggested. The monster began to undergo a change as she said this.

"WHAT POWER!" The monster said, as if high. His eyes closed as his form changed... his form was reminiscent of the rider, but had some of his old features, like razor sharp fangs. He smiled. "Hmm... looks like water won't be a problem in this body."

"Anyone have any ideas?" Byron asked.

"Aside from making him cough up your rider friend, I'm not sure." Tacari admitted.

"The answer is simple... if the two of them are fused, then we just need to destroy the monster part." He took a card and placed it into his belt. "Final Form Ride, BLADE!" A shadow of another armored figure appeared, this one mostly silver and had the motif of the spade. The figure warped into a giant sword, almost matching the red ranger's bihander. Hannah's eyes grew wide behind her helmet. She never knew this about her father, but she slowly understood why he was almost never around.

"Now... I need you five," he pointed to the rest of the team, "to keep him still. Red, you and I are going to go for the finisher."

"You got it!" Byron agreed.

"Let's do this!" James said as he was ready, awaiting the signal. The monster walked towards them slowly.

"Hit me with your best shot!" he mocked.

"I love when they ask for it." Tacari smirked. "Let's oblige him."

"Let's go!" called out Helix, leading the charge against him. He went into super speed mode and drew his sword. "SHOOTING STAR BARRAGE!" As back-up, Jun and James went behind him, both spinning their swords.

"NEBULA BOGEN!"  
"CELESTIAL FAN!"  
"ASTRAL LANCE!"  
"STAR GRAZER!"

The five rangers circled their target. James pulled the string back on his weapon and fired, lettign dozens of arrows fly towards the monster. Countering the attack, the monster held the same gun Jin had and shot each arrow down with precise speed. Hannah and Tacari figured a smokescreen of sorts would work so Yellow whipped up the sediment from the ground while pink conjured gusts of wind to swirl it around the monster.

"SANDSTORM!" They shouted together, "James! Now!"

"Roger that!" He replied, firing another round. Jun got in on the action too, twirling his lance and stabbing it point blank in front of him.

"I hope it works." Hannah said eagerly.

"He can't hit what he can't see." Tacari responded. The monster smirked. He placed a card in the gun. "HOMING!" He fired hundreds of bullets into the air, all of which hit the arrows and knocked Jun's lance out of his hands. The sandstorm subsided in a matter of moments.

"I stand corrected." Tacari replied.

"Okay, those cards have GOT to go!" James growled. As the fivesome scratched their heads metaphorically, Celeste's voice echoed in their minds.

"Rangers... listen carefully." She said. "There is a way to restrain him." Before the rangers could answer her, she mentally showed them the star symbol they needed to execute. "Each of you needs to write part of the symbol for it to work, but it rquires a lot of energy."

"Not like we have much choice here." replied Helix.

"Let's get started. We can't drag this on much longer." Tacari said. "The more we do, the stronger he gets."

"Yeah, I'm game." said Jun.

"What have we got to lose?" questioned Hannah.

"That's the sort of question, you DON'T want answered." James chimed in. "Okay... let's go!" The four rangers stood side by side. With their morphers in brush form, they each wrote a line, Celeste guiding their hands. In the order of their elements, Hannah went first. With a gentle stroke, she wrote the first part as she said,

"Oi"  
"Ar" continued Tacari.  
"Ts" called Jun.  
"Er" finished James.

In place of fire, Helix finished the incantation and the seal as he poured his energy into it. "SEAL!" The giant seal shot forth and grabbed the monster, constricting him in energy chains.

"ARGH! What in blazes is this?"

"This, if you pardon the pun, seals your fate!" James smirked. "NOW GUYS!"

Sosuke nodded. "Now then, let's try something new." He took another card and placed it into his belt. "Final Ride, NOVA STORM!" A hurricane of flames and lightning covered both of their swords as he hoisted his up.

"Way cool!" Byron gasped.

"Focus Red." He reminded. "On the count of three..."

1...

2...

"3!" called out Byron. Both ranger and rider slashed their weapons in an 'X', crushing the monster. It burned apart and melted, leaving nothing but the unconcious figure of Jin.

"Is...is he okay?" Hannah asked worriedly.

"If he's as strong a warrior as your father, he'll be fine." Tacari nodded.

"I wouldn't go that far... but I'm sure he's fine. Lord knows he's harder to get rid of than a cockaroach." He joked, a rarity for him.

"So true." Tacari said. Of course her version of getting rid of roaches was VERY different from Sosuke's version. A small beeping sound from his belt alerted him.

"Ah... seems like my time on this planet is up." He walked over to Hannah and undid his transformation. "I was glad to finally see you again Hana... at least there are no more secrets now." Hannah nodded and did something she hadn't done in a while. She ran over and gave her father the warmest, tightest hug she could. it was a mix of "I miss you", "I'm glad you're safe", "I'm sorry", and "I love you". Luckily for her, he understood everything in that hug. "I will try to keep in touch, but right now me and this boy have to get going... we have special jobs as traveling Riders."

"Okay, papa." Hannah nodded as a lone tear streaked her face. She was wrong about him all this time... and now, she couldn't be any prouder of him.

"So long Hana." He picked up Jin and held him over his shoulder. He stared at Jun and Helix and glared at them before he left via another gray wall of energy.

"You're on someone's hit list." James snickered.

"You made fools of yourselves today... and in front of Hannah's father!" Tacari said in shame. "In my tribe... you don't want to know what fathers do to unsuitable suitors. Just know it involves hanging... and not by the neck."

Jun started to sweat. He muttered to Helix. "Love hurts..." Helix laughed as he put an arm around his neck.

"That it does Jun my man. That is does..."

-

_And with that, another, admittedly, eventful day came to a close. What awaits the team in future?_

=====

End of Act 17


	18. Heart of Miranoi

**Chapter 18-Heart of Miranoi**

The final stages of war usually bring out a warrior's reserve. In this case, they bring out a warrior's desperation. This is the case with Shadius who was out on the deck mulling over their past failures. Their dwindling forces and inept leadership on all fronts were unsettling to the effeminate one. He knew he had to turn this around and he knew he had to do it fast.

"Simply dreadful! We wasted our last pawn on the whim of some vagabond visitor and we end up getting the short end of the stick! INFURIATING!" He snarled to himself. He paced around the deck a bit and wondered what he should do next. "We need to match those rangers... we need something destructive... something powerful..."

He continued on for a few minutes, his thoughts trailing in and out as he wore a pattern in the floorboards. With a defeated expression, he thought of one final thing.

"Ah! The Sacred Heart! That's sure to bring me certain victory. Yes... such unbridled energy will surely aid me." With a savage glint in his eye, he formulated his plan… and it wasn't gonna be pretty. In a sing-song voice, he called out, "OH, KALLIKINS!"

Using his staff as a cane, Kalliki-Kalamax walked in uttering a low grumble. He despised the nicknames he gave everyone... especially the ones given to him.

"What do you want?" He asked. "I'm not some pet you can call whenever you feel like it."

"Oh, lighten up, Kally. I simply require your assistance in... a tiny magic act I need to perform."

Shadius had a sadistic smile on his face. His fan conveniently obscured it from Kalamax's view.

The flamboyant one began to mutter an incantation and a spell circle appeared beneath their feet. The glowing symbol was a pentagram. Kalamax looked down at the pentagram and grew curious as to why Shadius needed him in the first place.

"What are you up to?" He asked suspiciously. "If this is another one of your hair-brained schemes..."

Shadius laughed and his eyes began to radiate and eerie yellow light.

"My dear, dear Kalamax. This is certainly no scheme. Just know you will be a part of history."

Shadius whipped the fan from his face and quickly drew a sword he kept hidden at his side. With a mighty heave, he stabbed the old squid general in the heart.

"Now then, let my end game begin!"

Kalamax's blue blood trickled from his tentacles as he uselessly grabbed Shadius' hand.

"You will... pay..." He never finished his threat. With one final gurgle, Kalamax's lifeless body fell to the floor. Shadius looked down on the squid general's body with a tilted head.

"Nothing personal, my boy. You understand." He removed his sword and began to chant as the squid's blood mixed with the circle. _**"Cruor spills. Somes lies. Animus of mortuus convoco. Ego signum is pactum per is vitualamen. Iam adveho pro vestri vinco!"**_

(A/N: This isn't Miranoian, it's Latin. :p)

The hellish circle beneath his feet began to glow fiercely as the body of Kalamax disappeared. A rip appeared above him and dozens of lost souls wafted into the seal. They mixed and merged and cried in horror at the pain. Shadius smirked with glee as his creation began to take form. The souls combined and meshed together as they mixed with a dense, black fog. Exposed blue and red lines made the impression of blood vessels as several fangs jutted out from its body. Shadius looked over his handiwork and grinned. The creature was, for the most part, a chimera. It was a mish-mosh of the souls of every monster the rangers vanquished. This was by far the most sinister thing to come from the bowels of the lake since Plaguture.

"My, what a specimen you turned out to be." Shadius complimented. "You deserve a name fitting your... stature. How about… Abomination?"

The corrosive monster didn't show any signs of comprehension, but his eyes flashed at the name.

"Good. We're on the same wavelength." He replied. "Now for your mission... I want you to search for the Sacred Heart... and demolish anything that tries to stop you. Anything."

The monster wasn't built for intense comprehension, but it understood that much. It disappeared in a black mist, muttering the word "Heart" over and over.

_"I gave him a million-dollar body and a ten cent brain. Although, I think ten cents is being generous." _He thought. "Good boy." Shadius chuckled evilly. "The heart will soon be mine! Now... to begin phase two." With that, he and the pentagram vanish from sight. The effeminate one wasn't finished with his treachery just yet.

=====

Back on Miranoi…

Hannah was trudging through the thick foliage of the jungle. The last time she did this was when Tacari first escaped from the Command Tower. The reason she was here now... well, reasons... were furry, small, and very cute. Since seeing the pink ranger's little ones after their battle with Sezius, she couldn't get their adorable faces out of her mind. The yellow ranger pushed aside some more branches and overgrown bushes as she sighed.

"Those adorable little ones are going to haunt my dreams until I find them again."

She pushes another large branch full of leaves and without warning, she shrieks when she sees Tacari standing on the other side. It caught her off guard so bad, she let go of the branch and it swung back, knocking her down.

"OOOFF!" She grunted.

The jungle woman just stood there and shook her head in shame before she stepped forward. Hannah regained some composure... after her heart stopped beating at 160 beats per minute.

"Who just stands there? You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Hannah grimaced.

"This is my home. I can stand where I please." Tacari reminded with a stone face.

Hannah nodded, still a little shaken.

"I understand that, but would it hurt to give someone a little warning next time?" Hannah mentally checked off the rumor the guys told her. If you go into the jungle... Tacari WILL find you. The pink amazon, who knew there was no emergency, stood there with folded arms.

"Why are you here?"

"Oh, yes!" Hannah clapped her hands, remembering exactly why she came. "I actually came to ask you a sort of personal favor, if you'll hear me out."

Not many people asked the amazon for favors. Then again, not many people had death wishes, either. But since Hannah was her teammate, she decided to give her the benefit of the doubt.

"I'm listening." She said simply.

"Well... I-uh…" Hannah began. Her shyness was a common inhibitor in most interactions. Having it coupled with the genuine fear she felt of upsetting Tacari, made things awkward. She was about to turn tail and run when the tiny pitter-patter of feet on a nearby tree made her look up. Her courage returned when she saw the two furry animals playing on a nearby branch. Hannah smiled brightly as she said,

"Would you mind if the little ones came to visit me and the kids in the city? You can chaperone."

Tacari looked up at the tree and saw her small friends playing their version of tree tag as they ran around the trunk and along the branches. All the while, they made the cutest play noises. Hannah's heart warmed as she watched them play. If it wasn't the cutest thing she ever saw, it was a good contender.

_"Oh… why'd you two have to be so darn cute?"_ She asked herself in though. "What do you say, Tacari?" She asked, still focusing on the animals.

The animals in question looked down and saw Hannah. They squeaked cutely as Tacari looked at the yellow ranger. The jungle woman wasn't their mother, but she felt a strong maternal instinct whenever those two were concerned. She made a promise to herself to never let any harm come to them.

"I'll think about it." She said as she turned to go into the jungle. The amazon made a couple of sounds and the little ones quickly followed her. Though she didn't say yes, Hannah had to look on the bright side. At least she didn't flat out say no.

"Something tells me she's beginning to mellow out. There's no way she would have agreed to it when we first met." The yellow ranger surmised. That bit of reasoning brought her comfort. With the memory of the furry babies on her mind, Hannah walked back to the city happily.

=====

Elsewhere…

Things were getting too boring around the bachelor pad for Byron and James so the two buddies decided to go for a walk around the city. They needed some fresh air. After all that has happened to the rangers over the past few months, one thing managed to stick in James' mind.

"Is it wrong for me to think that Celeste is a total babe?" The blue ranger asked.

Byron froze in place and scratched his head. His friend's question knocked him for a loop.

"Um... well... she's kinda… sort of my mom, so..." Byron stammered.

The fact that their cosmic mentor was technically Byron's mother was completely lost on the blue ranger for a moment. Thanks to his naïve friend, he was brought back down to earth quickly.

"Oh... right." James stalled. "Okay, that was awkward! How about we… um… change the subject? Yeah! Let's talk about something else!" The blue ranger replied rapidly.

The red ranger nodded and chuckled at how flustered his best bud got.

"Well, things definitely have been like a rollercoaster around here. The past couple of weeks were some of the craziest sci-fi moments ever."

James looked at his friend weirdly. The fact that they were on an alien planet AND were rangers whose HQ was on a star out in space made their whole LIFE a sci-fi moment.

_"O… kay. I'm gonna let that one slide."_ He thought. "Tell me about it. I mean-"

As James continued to talk, Byron caught a glimpse of someone familiar out of the corner of his eye.

"Nikolas?"

Without a second thought, he turned and ran after the figure leaving James to yammer on.

"And what about the whole..." He paused when he saw that he was alone. "Um… yeah. We'll continue back home!" James shouted to his friend before turning to go back to the apartment.

The red ranger ran through the crowd, bumping into people and apologizing to them along the way.

"I know he's around here somewhere." Byron continued running throughout the city, his legs wearing out as he covered more ground. By the end of the afternoon, Byron had nearly run around the whole city and by this time he felt like he'd been chasing a ghost.

"I know I saw him. I'm not crazy… not THAT crazy, anyway." He said to himself. The optimistic young man's about to give up, something he's not known to do, when he hears a noise coming from an alley.

"What's that?" He whispered to himself.

His curious streak was getting the better of him so he walked over to the dark alley and peeked inside. As he stared into the darkness, a smoky fog crept appeared from nowhere. As if things weren't ominous enough, a gray monster walked through the mist with eyes aglow and a hunger that would not be satiated.

"Heart…" It droned as it looked around.

"Okay! I think now's a good time to-" Byron began as he took out his morpher. He was about to send the call to the others when the monster caught him. With lightning fast reflexes, he shot the morpher from Byron's hand before he could bring it to his lips. The red ranger did a double take from his hand to the monster and his brown eyes widened to the size of saucers.

"Okay, scratch that! New plan!" Before Byron could even think of moving his feet, Abomination whizzed towards him.

The two engaged in hand-to-hand combat and it was all Byron could do to keep up. The speed the monster displayed rivaled that of the Gold Ranger. Byron tried to fight his way closer to his morpher so he could transform, but Abomination brought out his own sword intent on taking down the defenseless red ranger.

"Whoa!" Byron shouted. Thinking quickly, he found a length of rebar and brought it up to block the attack. The fanged creature used its blinding speed to knock the metal from his hands and send him flying into a nearby car. "Man, he's nothing to play with!" Byron groaned.

As he shook the cobwebs from his head, Abomination was already upon him. Byron was completely helpless. With no morpher and no way to contact his friends, he was on his own. The creature brought his sword up to deliver the final blow when…

**"BLOOD SABER!"**

Another sword blocked Abomination's blade before it made contact with Byron's head. When he looked up to see what happened, he recognized the sword with the telltale serrated red blade and the one wielding it.

"Nikolas?" Byron asked in shock.

Nikolas, who was in his skeletal Juzo form, just gave Byron a look before shoving the monster back. He set to work slicing the monster into pieces before looking towards the shocked red ranger.

"I don't get it. This is the second time you saved me. Why'd you do it?" Byron asked in amazement.

Nikolas's scarlet face glistened in the sunlight as he was posed the question.

"I-I couldn't help it." He answered simply. In all honesty, he really didn't know why he went against his own nature. Byron just brought that out of people. Unknown to them both, the monster had pieced himself back together. Now that it was whole, Abomination took his sword and stabbed Nikolas making him revert to his human form. It was too fast for Byron to stop in time.

"NO!" Screamed a horrified Byron as Nikolas fell to the ground. He saw his morpher on the ground and dove for it. **"RIDE THE NOVA!"** The Red Ranger held his strider ready to fight, but Abomination turned tail and vanished in a cloud of gray fog. The word "Heart" was heard in the wind. "Crap! He got away!" He looked over at Nikolas and picked him up. "I know someone who can help you." He called for his comet and took him to the one person who could do something for Nikolas… Celeste.

=====

Meanwhile…

Reapus wandered around his ship and found that it was unusually quiet. Wanting answers, he walked into the main deck where Crescenda played her beloved shamisen.

"Hmm. Kalamax and Shadius are strangely absent. Crescenda, do you happen to know where they are?" Reapus asked.

The musical general briefly stopped playing to look up at her lord.

"I haven't seen either of them in some time… and it makes me wary." She said. "I still don't trust Shadius. I believe you and I should keep an eye on him. He has treachery on his mind and I believe he's just waiting for his chance to strike."

The crimson tyrant nodded.

"I'm well aware of his loyalty… or lack thereof." He responded.

"I'm just concerned for you, my lord. He's intent on taking your throne." She warned.

"Nonsense, Crescenda. That fruity weasel, while powerful, can't win against me in any kind of frontal fight. And he isn't stupid enough to try anything sneaky." Reapus scoffed. Crescenda wasn't completely convinced. Something told her that treason was rampant aboard their ship and that Shadius was the one behind it.

"I pray you're right." She said as she looked down at her shamisen. "Forgive me."

Reapus shook his head.

"Your concern is appreciated. But now... I have other affairs."

"Such as... if you don't mind me asking." Crescenda probed.

"I must prepare. That is all." Reapus replied cryptically before turning to leave.

"I see." Crescenda answered simply as she tuned her precious shamisen. In truth, she was very concerned for Reapus. More specifically how slowly his wounds were healing thanks to his battle with Leo. _"That gash is keeping you from realizing true victory."_ She thought. _"If only there was a way to heal you."_

She was about to play another song when Reapus turned back to face her.

"Oh, I've been meaning to tell you this." Reapus began. "I just remembered something about a potential cure for my wounds. The location is in a remote mountain range just beyond the jungle."

"I shall retrieve it for you." Crescenda offered quickly.

"I must warn you; the journey will be very dangerous."

"It doesn't matter. I'd go to the ends of the planet if it will ensure your victory." Crescenda replied. "Let me retrieve the cure for you."

Reapus just nodded and a slight grin appeared on his face.

"Very well. You are the only one here I truly trust, Crescenda."

"Thank you, my lord. I shall leave immediately."

With that, Crescenda vanishes from the red lord's sight, unaware that she had been duped. Now that he was alone, his true form could be revealed. Chanting a spell, "Reapus" shifted his appearance to that of Shadius. He let out an evil laugh before speaking to himself.

"That's one more pest out of my perfectly coiffed hair." He sneered as he flipped his hair. With an evil glint in his eye, he left to find the one person who could foil his plans: Reapus.

=====

Meanwhile on Celeste's star…

The cosmic mentor was meditating on her crystal pedestal when she heard Byron call out to her.

"Celeste! I need your help!" He held off on calling her "mom" since it would take some getting used to.

Celeste emerged from her chamber and her eyes widened in shock when she saw the red ranger and… and unexpected guest.

"Byron? What-" She stammered before she regained her composure. To say the least, she was very surprised that Byron would bring a sworn enemy to their base of operations. "Why have you brought HIM here? Did you forget that he's the one trying to kill you?"

"I know, Celeste. Believe me; I know." Byron began as he laid Nikolas down on the floor. "But if it wasn't for him, I would have been dead two times over. He saved my life when we first met and again just now against some weird Chimera looking creature."

"He may have saved your life but that still doesn't dilute the fact that his main mission is to end it." Celeste reminded sternly. "Byron, you're gonna have to take him back…"

**"Mom!"**

That word… that one simple word made Celeste freeze in her tracks. It just sounded so… natural coming from Byron. Though he wasn't born through conventional means, he was just as much her son if she had given birth to him.

"I can't take him back. He saved my life… twice; I can't just abandon him." Byron began. "When I first met him, I met him like he is now, as Nikolas. I didn't know he was Juzo and he didn't know I was the red ranger. All he saw was someone in trouble and he jumped in to help. He was nice to me. On the asteroid, I was a wreck when I found out the truth about my existence. He could have easily taken my head then… but he didn't. He gave me a pep talk and even helped me defeat Chiquita Banana or whatever her name was." Byron sighed before continuing. "He may be evil, but he's also human. I know he has goodness in him; if he didn't, I wouldn't be here now. People can change and I know he can, too. I just want to give him a chance to prove it… but he can't if he dies. So, please, mom. Help him?"

Byron stood there and his big brown eyes just had a sad, soulful look to them. If there was ever a face that was more effective than his "puppy face", it was this because it was sincere. He wanted nothing more than to return the favor of someone who had helped him many times before. Celeste looked from Byron to Nikolas and back to the red ranger. As much as she wanted to berate him, she had to admire him. He was showing her what a red ranger was all about. With a heavy sigh, she gave her answer.

"Bring him to my chamber."

"Thank you." Byron said as he picked up a barely alive Nikolas. "Hang on. My mom's gonna help you."

Nikolas slowly opened his eyes and looked up at the red ranger. He only had the strength to utter one word.

"Why?"

Byron looked down at him and smiled.

"I think you know why."

"Lay him here." Celeste ordered. Byron obeyed and laid Nikolas upon a bed of clear crystals. Surrounding the edges were some multicolored crystals from the caves deep within her star. Celeste laid her hands on Nikolas' wounds. She closed her eyes and sang a haunting melody. The colored crystals' energy flowed through the clear crystals and fed into Nikolas' body. His wounds slowly began to close. When she saw that the colored crystals were activated, she stopped and stepped back in wait.

"He'll be alright." She said softly.

"Thanks, mom." Byron smiled. He was on his way out of the chamber when Celeste stopped him.

"Byron, wait!" She said when the large crystal in the middle of the room began to glow. She had sensed the large spike in power coming from the planet and went to investigate. She looked into the large crystal and gasped when she saw Abomination and another evil force. What concerned her more was who they were close to.

"Byron, contact the others." Celeste ordered.

"I'm already on my way!" Byron said as he left the chamber. Celeste used her mental link to contact the pink ranger directly since both entities were in her vicinity. "Tacari, be on your guard. You have two enemies in your general area and they appear to be very close."

"They're in my jungle?" She asked with a low growl.

"Yes. Be careful. This enemy is insanely strong." Celeste warned.

"I will." The pink ranger replied before setting off to meet the intruders.

Celeste cut off her link and sat by Nikolas. She was on guard herself. She didn't completely trust the young man whose alter ego was the sinister Juzo, but she did trust Byron. That was the only thing keeping her from casting Nikolas out.

=====

Back on Miranoi…

Tacari had just finished her mental conversation with Celeste when she saw something streak through the treetops.

"Crescenda." She whispered to herself. "What are you up to?"

In a flash, she followed the musical general and recognized the path she was taking. Crescenda was traveling to the Mors Caps, a small mountain range located just outside the jungle. It surrounded a large lake much like Mari Lake. As Tacari chased Crescenda, she had no idea that the chimera named Abomination was tailing her. It wasn't long before Crescenda exited the dense foliage of the jungle and landed on the craggy terrain of the Mors Caps mountain range.

"It must be here." Crescenda said to herself. She froze when she got the feeling she was being watched. "I should have known YOU'D follow me." She smirked as she turned around to see the pink amazon standing a few yards away from her.

"Then you should also know you're not welcome in my jungle!" She snarled. "Why are you here?"

"That's none of your business! But since you're here, I might as well kill two birds with one stone. Or… in this case… one SWORD!" With that, she pulled the hidden sword from the neck of her shamisen and charged towards the pink ranger.

**"RIDE THE NOVA!"** Tacari jumped to evade Crescenda's first strike and morphed as she flipped over her enemy. The jungle woman landed on her feet as Crescenda turned around to charge again. In the blink of an eye, sparks flew as metal clashed. Both women fought ferociously as they took their battle across boulders and cliffs. Tacari used her knowledge of the layout to her advantage as she scaled the rock walls.

"Get down here!" Crescenda shouted.

"As you wish!"

The pink ranger leapt from the wall and swung her sword at Crescenda's head. The musical general ducked and brought her sword up to cleave the amazon from feet to head. Tacari jumped into the air and landed on the blade. She stood on it and looked down at her opponent.

"I see you've improved!" Crescenda taunted.

"I see you've gotten sloppy!" Tacari rebutted.

"You B!TCH!"

The jungle woman backflipped off of the blade and resumed her swordfight with Crescenda. Swords flashed in the sunlight and soon the warrior princesses were standing back to back with their arms outstretched. Each one held on to the other's sword hand keeping them still as they continued their deadly dance. They circled around like lionesses on the prowl.

"You do realize only one of us will come out of this alive; don't you?" Crescenda asked they stalked each other in a circle.

"Yes. And by the power of the planet, I'll make sure it's not you!"

The women separated and resumed their fight with renewed vigor. Unbeknownst to the pink amazon, she was about to be ambushed by Abomination who was hiding in the jungle brush.

"Heart…" It droned quietly. With lightning speed, it shot out glowing blue projectiles from its left shoulder. Each one was aimed at Tacari but…

**"SHOOTING STAR BARRAGE!"******

**"NEBULA BOGEN!"**

Helix and James got between the pink ranger and Abomination and deflected every projectile that came close. Soon, the others arrive and surround the chimera.

"Tacari! Are you alright?" Byron asked.

"I'm fine." She nodded as she turned to face her friends. Crescenda took this distraction as a cue to slash the amazon from behind. But Tacari brought up her blade to block it. She turned her head to look at the musical minion and scoffed. "Not even on your best day."

"Okay! I see you have this under control so we'll deal with Abomination!" Byron shouted as he and the other rangers surrounded the chimera.

Tacari nodded as she and Crescenda resumed their battle to the death. Both vicious vixens parried, thrusted and blocked their slashes at every turn until one was ready to put an end to it. Using the rock face as a launching pad, Tacari jumped and pushed herself off of the wall, sending her straight at the musical minion. In mid-flight, she slid her Star Disc onto her hilt and spun it.

**"AURORA BLADE!"** She shouted. With a mighty swing, she brought her sword down and cleaved Crescenda and her precious shamisen down the middle. A red energy radiated from the top of her head to her feet as she screamed out in pain.

"No... how can you..." She stammered as she fell to her knees. Looking up at the sky, she used her dwindling energy to call out to her lord. **"REAPUS! TAKE THIS ENERGY SO THAT YOU MAY REVIVE!"** She takes her beloved shamisen and smashes it on a nearby rock. Ribbons of energy streamed from the broken instrument and flew towards Mari Lake.

=====

On the ship...

The energy from the shamisen seeped through the boards of the ship and wafted towards a recuperating Reapus. It absorbed into body and he began to glow a brilliant red. He let out a groan and stood to stretch as his body as fully revitalized. He hadn't felt this powerful in ages, but something bothered him.

"This energy..." He began. "It feels... familiar."

"It should, Reappy-boy." Shadius replied as he walked into his chamber. "That energy you're gorging on came from your favorite general. Long story short, she bit the dust."

**"WHAT!"** Reapus growled. His roar shook the boat so bad, everything fell to the floor. **"HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?"**

"My guess... the rangers got to her and... played her a swan song." Shadius smirked under his fan. "That energy is her final curtain call."

"Those blasted rangers!" Reapus snarled in a blind fury. **"THEY SHALL ALL PAY!"**

Before Shadius could make another snide remark, Reapus transformed into blood red energy and flew from the ship. He made his way to the mountains and he was so furious, the energy from his body scorched a path through the jungle.

"Well, that lit a fire under him." Shadius chuckled evilly. "Oh, this should be a good show!"

With that, he vanishes and also makes his way to the Mors Caps Mountains.

=====

Back at the Mors Caps Mountains...

The other rangers, save Tacari, were fighting Abomination and his speed when he reveals one of his hidden abilities.

**"DEVIL'S WHIPLASH!"**

A centipede like appendage appeared and slammed into the five rangers sending them into the rock face of a nearby cliff. Jun rubbed the side of his head. Something felt off.

"Guys, is it my imagination, or have we seen that before?"

"Yeah. We have." Hannah groaned. "And it hurt then, too!"

James, who shook the cobwebs from his head managed to recall when they encountered that attack.

"Guys, that's Cerberado's attack!" He grunted.

Before any of them could recover from the shock...

**"VENOM SPINNERS!"**

Spinning red blades of energy ripped through the team. The force caused them to become reacquainted with the ground. James coughed from the pressure of the impact.

"Okay, I think we all remember the itsy bitsy spider's attack." Not that any of them could forget, given the circumstances at the time.

The Gold Ranger tried to piece together the creature's origin and the attacks it used. What he came up with was something that could spell their demise.

"This isn't good." Helix strained as he tried to get up. "I don't like the looks of this at all."

"When it starts looking GOOD to you, lemme know!" Jun shook his head.

"I'm serious... for once! This is VERY bad for us!" He stressed.

And it was about to get worse for them.

**"BAILE DEL FUEGO!"**

If the rangers weren't used to the taste of dirt by now, it was a miracle. The team was thrust into the rocky base of the mountains; theirs bones made very loud cracking noises as they were brutally thrown around by the beautiful and fiery feathers.

"Man! He's using the attacks of all the monsters we beat already!" Byron deduced.

"Told ya it as bad for us!" Helix replied as Tacari joined the fight.

"How about a team attack?" Hannah suggested.

"If he can use all of the defeated monsters' attacks, I don't think that's wise." Tacari replied.

"Do you have any better ideas?" Helix asked.

Byron, although he had something nagging him in the corner of his mind, led the charge. He spun his star disc on his sword hilt.

"Sometimes we need to be a little risky. Ready?"

"Ready!" The others shouted as the mimicked Byron's moves. The pink ranger shook her head uneasily. She still felt it was a bad idea. Helix got is hatchet ready to strike.

**"AURORA BLADES!"**

**"SOLAR SLASH WAVE!"**

Six colors streaked towards the monster and it looked like they would connect when...

**"NEGATIVE VORTEX!"**

A black hole swallowed all of the attacks before vanishing. The blue ranger's eyes widened when he remembered this particular attack.

**"Run!"** James yelled. The rangers had no difficulty remembering what was coming. The problem was the timing. Before the rangers could react and do what James advised, the black hole opened behind them and hit them with their own attacks.

"AAAAAAHHHHH!" They screamed as they, once again, kissed the ground.

"I'm not one for petty insults, but... I told you so!" Tacari shot at Helix who just grumbled to himself.

"He's too strong! Never mind the fact that he has all those attacks to use on us!" Jun groaned.

Byron shook his head defiantly. He wasn't about to believe that they couldn't come out on top.

"No! Guys, we can win this! We beat all those monsters before... we can do it again!"

"Even if they're all crammed together in one, big, ugly package?" Hannah asked.

"Just makes it easier to clean them up for good." Byron responded with a grin as he brought out his heavy artillery. **"NOVA BIHANDER! BURST MODE!"** He shouted as he placed the Tiger Disc onto the enlarged bazooka. "Let's end this! Helix, combine your Solar Slash after we fire, okay?"

"Gotcha! He can't redirect two different attacks!" Helix was impressed. Byron was actually using his head.

"Okay, let's lock and load! **ALPHA!**"

**"BETA!"******

**"GAMMA!"******

**"DELTA!"******

**"EPSILON!"******

"**THETA BULLET! ****Helix, now!"**

**"SOLAR SLASH WAVE!"** He called out. The Gold Ranger jumped into the air ready to attack as his blade gathered energy.  
The glowing bullet and solar energy zoomed towards Abomination and it looked like their plan would work, but someone came in at the last minute and snatched victory from their hands. In a blaze of fire, Reapus appeared and stood in front of Abomination. Just as the ranger's attacks got close, the crimson tyrant knocked the bullet up into the sky where it exploded like fireworks.

"I think not, Rangers!" He grinned evilly.

As if to mirror there surprise, James' eyes widened under his helmet in disbelief.

"You have GOT to be kidding me!" The rangers may have heard of Reapus and known about his vicious exploits, but they didn't know what he looked like. Jun started feel his skin crawl.

"He's..." He stalled.

Helix just growled. He knew exactly who it was.

"Reapus!"

The others turned in shock when the gold ranger identified this not-so-new foe.

"You mean he's the mastermind behind all this?" James asked.

"The very same." Helix snarled.

"Ah, nice to know my reputation precedes me." Reapus chuckled evilly. "Forgive me for not making an appearance earlier. If it weren't for that pest of a Red Galaxy Ranger..."

"Trust me; we weren't exactly waiting with baited breath for you." Hannah commented back.

Reapus looked at the six rangers and were shocked at how young they were.

"So, my latest inconveniences are mere... children. Kids!" He smirked.

"Six kids who kicked your servants' asses on a daily basis!" James replied proudly.

"And that ends today!" Reapus roared.

While the banter went on, Crescenda, with split shamisen in hand, crawled towards her lord.

"My... lord..." She strained.

He looked down at his fallen general. His eyes burned with hatred but he still knelt down and placed a hand behind his general as he helped her up.

"You have done well, my dear." He reassured.

"It was all for you, my lord." She coughed violently. "Forgive me for not destroying that pink b!tch and her friends!"

"You may not have killed them, but you managed to heal my wounds. And for that, I am grateful to you."

Crescenda managed to flash a small smile.

"My lord... grant me one last favor."

"Yes, my dear. What is it?" Reapus was being very informal with his general, something he has never done before. Crescenda's body began to glow a faint white as she spoke.

"Burn this planet to the ground. For... me..."

She slowly began to disappear, but before she did, she had to let Reapus know one last thing.

"Just know this. I love you. My lord... my... love..."

Her body vanished and her energy is absorbed into his body giving the red scourge a massive power boost. The white energy made Reapus shine; his crimson body reflected a bloody glow in the sun. He moved towards the rangers, his energy completely revitalized.

"Now... the question is... should I make your deaths slow and painful or quick and painful?"

"How about neither?" Byron shouted. Seeing their mortal enemy recharged was daunting, but they had to win... for everyone's sake. "Guys!"

Reapus let out a deafening roar as he charged the rangers.

"I think I'll start with six graves wit multicolored headstones. Yes, that should do just fine!" Reapus shouted as he descended upon them.

One by one, he engaged each ranger in combat. First up was Green,

**"ASTRAL LANCER!"** Jun shouted. He BARELY got his weapon out when Reapus brought his sword up.

"A toothpick for a weapon!" Reapus snarled as he knocked the lance away with his sword and gave a mighty punch to the green ranger's chest. The sheer force sent Jun flying into the mountain. The impact caused the green ranger to leave a crackling impression on the rock face in the shape of his body.

**"JUN!"** Hannah screamed. **"STAR GRAZER!" **Finding a new found courage, though mixed with some fear, she charged the crimson tyrant and slashed at his chest.

"Lovebirds, are we? Fine! I'll send you flying, as well!" Bad pun aside; he stood there and allowed Hannah to slash him with the grazer. Although desperate, she kept slashing at him making sparks fly off of her weapon. Deciding he was bored, he grabbed her hand and squeezed it until she dropped her weapon. He then hurled her into the rock face where she landed on top of Jun. "Who's next?"

Byron gripped his Bihander tightly as he looked to his gold and blue teammates.

"James, Helix? How about a triple team?"

Reapus smiled evilly.

"Zero power times three is still zero power!"

"We'll see about that!" Helix shot back. **"AQUOS HATCHET!"******

**"NEBULA BOGEN!"******

**"NOVA BIHANDER!"**

"If you insist... then come!" He egged them on.

Byron, James and Helix fired off their attacks until it merged into one energy orb. The orb flew at breakneck speeds towards the red scourge of the galaxies. Reapus sheathed his sword, not thinking it was even necessary to use it. He braced himself and grabbed the attack head-on. The orb singed and burned his hands, but he stood firm. With a great heave, he launched the attack right back at the three rangers.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" They screamed as they were caught in the explosion. Now all that was left was Tacari who stood defiantly.

"Well... here we are. You have been quite a thorn in my side for the longest of times. And now... I believe it is time to make good on my dear General's dying wish." He began to gather fire into his fists. "Care to try? You might be the lucky one to hurt me!"

Tacari held her sword tightly as she stared down Reapus.

"She held on longer than expected. She actually left me impressed." Tacari said nonchalantly. "Although, I think you're callous for sending her to fight your battles for you!"

Reapus clenched his fists in anger.

"I did no such thing! She came here of her own accord!" He then relaxed. "It matters not. You're all going to die eventually. But... let's see if I can get some reaction from you." He reached up and created a massive fire ball. If one were far enough, they'd think there was a sun on the planet itself. "TIME FOR SOME GARDENING!" He launched the fireball forward, completely missing Tacari. But the attack wasn't meant to hurt her directly. Instead, the massive ball of flame devastated the forest behind her. And "devastated" was a gross understatement. After the smoke cleared, a good amount of the forest all the way to the walls of the city, was gone. There was nothing left but a smoking wasteland.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" The jungle woman screamed as if in pain. **"VOY ERATSAB!"**

As the pink ranger charged, she spun her sabre violently. Could she win against Reapus? Who the hell cares? She was focused only on taking his head. Until...

"Sorry to interrupt!" A strong gust of wind blew the pink warrior away. Between her and Reapus appeared Shadius. Tacari struggled to stand when this new enemy made himself known.

"This isn't your fight!" She snarled at Shadius. The effect of the fire weighed heavily on her mentally and, mysteriously, physically as well. "This is between me... and that!"

"Listen, girly girl. I don't give two hoots about you and your grudges. I only want to know what to do when big, tall and bloody skins you all alive. I hear pink is a great color for tote bags."

James, along with the others, slowly gathered around the pink amazon.

"You're not putting your hands on her!" He growled.

"You want her, you gotta go through all of us!" Byron added.

"You're assuming that would be hard. Oh, Abby!" From behind them, the smoky wisp of Abomination appeared, ready for its new task.

"Masssster..." He droned mindlessly.

"I realize you don't comprehend this, but I have new orders for you. Send these rainbow assorted rugrats to their doom!"

"Dooooom!" He droned. With blinding speed, he unleashed another of his pilfered attacks. **"MAGMA BOLIDES!"**

Jun shakily wielded his lance.

"I got this one!" He spun his lance around and knocked the magma projectiles out of the way. Reapus smirked.

"Can you really win? You can't defeat all three of us. Mind you, I don't need the help, but this makes it a cleaner job."

Byron and company watched as Shadius, Reapus and Abomination surrounded them all. Byron looked at Tacari who seemed to be weakened from Reapus' last stunt and that confused him since it didn't even touch her.

"Guys, we cover Tacari... no matter what. Keep them off of her until she regains her strength."

"No... I can still fight!" She protested.

"Oh, yes!" Shadius mocked. "You look almost as good as I do when I wake up too early." He shook his head. "Your determination is completely illogical."

**"QUIET!"** She snapped at the effeminate one.

As much as the Gold Ranger would love to see the amazon go full on wild child on him, he had to side with the bad guys on this.

"I hate to agree with him, but he's... right." Helix relented.

"Oh! Goldy boy is agreeing with me. I feel SO much better." Shadius laughed.

Before the rangers could continue convincing Tacari to sit this fight out, Abomination hit them with another attack.

**"VENTISCA DE LAS PLUMAS!"**

Shimmering blue feathers swirled around them ready to seal them in a cocoon.

**"Tacari!"** James, at the last minute, pushed the pink amazon out of harm's way. The hurricane of feathers encompassed the remaining five and slashed through their suits like a hundred hot knives through butter.

**"NO!"** Tacari shouted as her friends screamed.

"Now! Before they regroup!" Reapus shouted his order.

Tacari tried to stand but she fell to her knees. It was a miracle that she had the energy to do that much. She watched helplessly as her teammates were swallowed up by the storm of feathers. She was now the planet's last line of defense and she could barely move.

_"I... can't fail... the planet! Oaidraug ttirips go Jonarim… J heb voy… fvig fm itgnerts."_ She prayed silently. The incinerated portion of forest felt just like a burning gash on her skin. She felt the planet's pain and it was excruciating. Her hands dug into the soil as she tried to connect with the world she swore to protect with her life. "Miranoi, I vowed to defend you with my last breath... and I intend to keep that promise. But I need your help."

As the amazon pleaded with the planet, the three enemies stood frozen in place. Even the stifled grunts of her friends were silenced. All around her, a dark void concealed everything. From the heavens above, a golden radiance shone brilliantly. And a familiar voice called out.

"Warrior of the Planet's Soul... the time has come."

Tacari looked up into the light and whispered.

"Orion?"

The radiance subdued and the golden knight allowed her to glimpse him through the light.

"Indeed... but this is no time for introductions. There is something you need to do." He pointed to her heart. "It is about time you awakened as a warrior... and as the priestess of the planet. You hold such unspeakable power... even my son would not be able to match you."

Tacari looked at the golden warrior and down at herself where he pointed.

"Me? Even more powerful than Byron? Is that even possible?" She asked in shock.

The figure nodded.

"You see... once in a millennia, a planet chooses a life form to hold its very soul. I held Miranoi's soul in a previous life, but it has gone to someone new." Orion continued. "And this affords the carrier with immeasurable powers. Have you not found it strange how you feel pain even when there is no damage to your body?"

Tacari nodded.

"Yes. Every time a tree is cut down or an animal is in pain, I feel it. And it feels like my heart is being ripped from my chest."

Orion thought for a moment.

"I am regretful that I cannot fight alongside you. But I can do this much." From his right palm, he materialized the Terminal and handed it to her. "Now, make me proud, warrior."

Tacari took the terminal and looked up at Orion.

"I will." She bowed.

Orion nodded and turned to leave. He dissipated in golden dust as the black void collapsed. Time resumed as the three enemies continued their leisurely walk around the team. Byron and his friends were on the ground writhing in intense pain. Reapus looked down at his fallen prey and smirked.

"I get to destroy two sets of rangers in one millennium! It must be my birthday!" He laughed evilly as Shadius fanned himself.

"Ohhh! Remind me to pick out the cake later. I know a great bakery a few light years down." He laughed as he watched Reapus enjoy his moment. The crimson tyrant slid hid hand up his menacing blade and relished the fact that he had the rangers down and almost out.

"Say hello to that accursed FORMER Magna Defender!"

He brought his sword to smite down the rangers when someone shouted...

**"OMEGA TERMINAL!"**

If it wasn't for the near death experience, someone might think Helix was insane.

"Heh... Orion's a cruel guy for waiting this long." The gold ranger smirked.

A golden flash of light could be seen, but the person it came from would be the bigger surprise.

**"VIOLENT AS A HURRICANE! OMEGA STRIZER PINK!"**

The rangers were speechless... for about two seconds. Byron grinned stupidly under his helmet.

"Cool! Kick their butts, Tacari!" Truth be told, cheering as all he could do since he still couldn't feel his spine.

For a moment, she just stood there. She looked like the others did when they obtained the Omega powers. UNLIKE, them, she began to glow and waves of intense energy pulsated from her body. The section of forest that was decimated by Reapus started to regenerate. Trees and shrubs began to regrow. The lush greenery returned more vibrant than before. In fact, the whole planet looked more alive. Shadius observed the strange phenomenon with a stunned expression on his face.

"Impossible! None of the other rangers have that ability!"

Reapus stared at Tacari curiously.

"Nice trick. Too bad it won't do any good. I'll just destroy it again." He threatened.

"Not if I destroy you first!" She threatened back.

Shadius, who started to sweat, called out. In desperation.

"Abby, take down that ferocious fraulein!"

"Massssterrr!" The monster droned. He charged at the glowing amazon with breakneck speed, but it would do him no good. Tacari lifted her sword and with one vicious swing, she carved the monster down the middle causing it to explode in two halves.

"YEAH! You go, girl!" Hannah shouted happily from her spot on the ground.

Shadius backed away in fear.

**"That sheer power... that unusual ability... I'm sure of it! This girl is the Heart of Miranoi!"**

**"WHAT!"** The rangers shouted in disbelief.

Shadius gritted his teeth.

"To think I had combed this planet in search of it and it turned out to be right in front of me this whole time!"

"Not for long. I plan on killing the both of you and cleansing this planet!" She said as she slow walked towards them.

Reapus smirked and slowly began to laugh.

**"Muhahaha... hahahaha... HAHAHAHAHA!"** He continued. "I understand if the fruitcake is afraid, but no one is stronger than I! NO ONE!"

Shadius shook his head and took a firm grip on his comrade's shoulder.

"Don't be a fool! Right now, that girl has enough power to send Orion to his grave three times over!"

"With the mindset I'm in... four!" Tacari corrected.

Reapus smiled; his yellow teeth shone with sadistic glee.

"Well, then maybe she will finally be a challenge!" He drew his sword, fully prepared to fight. Tacari slid her star disc into the terminal and snapped it shut. She spun the disc in preparation for her lethal attack.

"Come at me!" She taunted. **"AURORA BLADE! OMEGA MODE!"**

"As you wish!" Reapus ran towards her, lifting the massive sword against his shoulder. "Be sure to beg for mercy when I kill you. I like it when they beg!"

"I was about to tell you the same!" The pink amazon shot back.

"You daft fool!" Cried Shadius who rode the wind to get in front of Reapus. Using a great deal of energy, he blasted Reapus into the rocks as he looked at the oncoming assault from the pink ranger. With a fierce primal cry, she slashed Shadius twice in the form of an X.

"YYYEEEEEEEEAAARGGGGGHHH!" The effeminate general screamed as sparks poured from his wounds. He fell to the floor and it was a struggle to keep himself from dying on the spot as he focused on trying to ignore the pain. "Daaaammn... it." He said, barely audible.

Tacari looked towards her next target.

"You're next. I owe the planet your blood."

Reapus dusted off the rubble from Shadius' attack and nodded.

"I believe we were interrupted. Shall we go again?"

"As you said... this is a challenge."

Reapus picked up his large sword.

"Then, let's continue!"

Energy started to gather around him as an aura of crimson hue sparked up. From behind Tacari, silvery wisps began to formulate.

"Let's!" She snarled as she brought up her own sword. With less than a sound, the wisps combined and formed back into the monster. Abomination materialized a sword from its arm and shot it forth, piercing the suit and stabbing the amazon in the back.

**"TACARI!"** James shouted in horror. With his energy depleted, it was all he or the others could do. When that happened, violent tremors rocked the entire planet to its very core. The pink ranger dropped her sword as her Omega transformation powered down. Then her regular ranger form vanished leaving her in her jungle attire. She fell forward unconscious as Shadius looked down at her.

"Hmmph. She's not bad looking... for a human."

**"Get away from her!"** James grunted.

Abomination stood there, its job completed. It waited for its next order. Shadius silently pointed to her and grinned. The monster understood and picked up the limp amazon bridal style.

"A minor setback... but still a good development. **IR UN AQUA!**" He chanted. He, his absurdly difficult to kill creature and the unconscious ranger disappeared in a flash of light.

"NO!" James shouted as he tried to move. **"TACARI!"**

Reapus sighed.

"That guy. I should have known he was up to something." He sheathed the sword on his back. Well, I'll deal with him soon enough. But, first... I have 5 other things to take care of." He snarled as he moved towards the rangers.

The five helpless rangers tried in vain to stand, but with the beating they took from Reapus and the others, that proved to be very difficult.

"We'll get Tacari back, James." Byron promised.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about her. Once the fruitcake's done with her, I'm sure she'll be nothing but ashes. But I'll be happy to send you to the grave first so you can welcome her!"

"You bastard!" James snarled. "If he touches one hair on her head, BOTH of you will need to start praying!"

"Says the dead man walking." Reapus scoffed.

As the rangers awaited their fate, a brilliant orb of light flew down and floated between the rangers and Reapus. Once it dissipated, Celeste appeared in her morphed form.

"Celeste?" They shouted.

"Yes, rangers. I had to make sure everything was ready. Now, I'm here to settle our score from over a millennia ago, you crimson demon!"  
Reapus scoffed.

"If I recall correctly, I left you a scarred, broken warrior and Orion... well, we all know about him."

Celeste shook her head.

"The rangers can attest to this; Orion is still alive in some fashion. But besides that... I had many years to think of a way to defeat you for good. And I think it's a good time to show it."

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

=====

_Just what does Celeste have planned for Reapus? And will the rangers have enough strength to rescue Tacari? Find out next time on __**Power Rangers: GALAXY STRIDERS!**_

=====

End of Act 18


	19. End of Eternity, Pt I

**Chapter 19: End of Eternity, Pt. 1**

The wind whispered along the battle-scarred land as two red blurs charged each other. Sparks of silver flung themselves in a wild dance as they both clashed. One of them, the female of the two, started her war of words. "This is the end for you, Reapus. I'm going to avenge my comrades!" Reapus laughed evilly.

"Celeste, not even YOU have enough power to defeat me." He scoffed. "That jungle girl tried... and look where it got her." He chuckled. Celeste shook her head.

"You needed a sneak attack to defeat her. What does that tell me?" She shot back.

"You say that as if it was a bad thing." Reapus scoffed. "But it matters not. Your one advantage is gone. And it looks like this planet is next." And he was right. As they spoke and fought, their surroundings were withering away. The area where Tacari used her powers went back to being the charred wasteland Reapus created.

"You have a point. But that just means I need to destroy you all the more quickly." She continued her assault with a stab. Reapus, thanks to Crescenda's energy merging with him, gained unnatural speed and he used it to deflect her stab with his own sword. All the while, the rangers tried to stand, even if it was futile. Celeste turned slightly and slashed again, this time aiming for the shoulder which was all she could do with her sword parried. Their deadly dance of blades continued with neither combatant gaining an edge.

"Celeste, hurry! This place is looking less like paradise and more like someplace I REALLY don't wanna see for a LONG time!" James shouted. Celeste nodded. She backed away from Reapus and held out her hand.

"Omega Terminal!" In a flash of gold, the Terminal appeared in her palm. Pressing the button, she transformed as the white cloak materialized around her. Instead of pursuing her attack again, she just stood there, sword somewhat down.

"Huh? Why's she just standing there?" Jun asked. Reapus smirked.

"Are you getting cold feet now? Or maybe you've realized I can't be beaten." Celeste remained silent. She opened her belt and took out a blank disc. She placed it into the Terminal and aimed her sword at Reapus.

"Just how many discs are there?" Byron wondered aloud.

"Not now, Byron." Hannah scolded lightly. Out of seemingly nowhere, crystalline chains filled with white energy shot from the Terminal, ensnaring Reapus within seconds. Celeste held the sword high.

"I had learned this technique in case you ever came back. It is time I showed you the fruits of my labor."

"Yeah, get him, Celeste!" Jun shouted.

_"Hope this works._" Hannah thought to herself. The crimson tyrant simply shrugged.

"I know about this technique Celeste. And I don't think you have the gall to do it." He sneered. The rangers all looked at each other weirdly when Reapus made that comment.

"What does he mean, Celeste?" James asked. When the cosmic mentor remained silent, Byron spoke next.

"Mom, what's he talking about?" Byron asked. Celeste averted her gaze. She couldn't face them. But once again, Byron's use of the word "mom" had loosened her resolve. Reapus continued what he started.

"Oh... so you didn't tell them. My... what a shoddy mentor. Well, rangers, to put it simply, if Celeste completes this technique, she will die. That is the price."

"WHAT!" They all shouted in shock.

"NO! You can't do that!" Hannah pleaded.

"We've lost too many already!" Helix protested. Celeste shook her head.

"This is the only way. I simply can't let him live any longer. If it means purging the universe of this cruel demon, then my life is inconsequential."

"But this is why Orion didn't use the technique himself." Helix replied.

"Mom... you can't." Byron pleaded softly. Celeste shed a solitary tear.

"I'm sorry... son." The blade she wielded became white hot with gold and white energy circulating over the blade. With a savage cry, she ran towards him her sword raised high.

"NO! CELESTE! STOP!" Those were the cries of her charges. Unfortunately, they fell on deaf ears as Celeste pressed on with her assault. Reapus sighed as he rolled all of his eerie yellow eyes.

"It seems like this is the extent of your powers, then." Celeste brought the blade down, shouting,

"We'll see! GOLDEN BURST!" Starting from the ground up, a vicious cyclone of energy swept up, knocking Celeste away. "What in the-?" The cyclone that formed around Reapus began to glow as red as his own skin as he began to focus. With a thundering roar, he broke through the chains, making them dissipate. The resulting shockwave blew out the flames on Celeste's sword, causing her to stare in shock and fear. Reapus dusted himself off, clearly nonchalant about the whole thing.

"You might have had a chance. I probably wouldn't have been able to block that attack as easily as I did... if you performed it all those years ago. Because now, thanks to the sacrifice of my dear general, her soul now resides in me. And with two souls, that technique of yours didn't know which to bind, which caused it to falter."

"That... can't be." Denied a crestfallen Celeste.

"Oh, man! Even dead, the b!tch screws us!" James grumbled.

"In short..." The crimson tyrant unsheathed his gigantic sword. You cannot defeat me." Before Celeste could defend herself, Reapus slammed his sword into her. With a sharp crack, he sent her flying straight into the wastelands of the once lush jungle. Her Omega transformation became undone as the Terminal disappeared.

************************************************************

The sound of a drop of water carried into the vast emptiness. The little drop traveled down the pipes as they reached underground, going on for miles. It reached the edge of the pipe and dripped down, hitting the surface of a clear-cut marble stone. Standing before it was Shadius, who gently propped the sleeping amazon onto it. He had a sinister smile on his face. "Now, then, my dear, shall we get started... hm?" He walked around, clutching his chest and ensuring the circle was complete. Nothing could go wrong. "My era is soon upon us." Tacari laid there unconscious completely unaware of her fate... and the fate of the planet. Things, literally, rested on her shoulders.

Shadius ran a hand, barely a fraction away from her skin, across her body. "Now, then... why don't we begin?" He folded his hands and began to chant. "_O mystica servit manus daemonum sempiternum da domino tuo contenta I, rector umbrarum, erit haec anima depascitur ut opes et vicissim fit Deus ut praeesset omnibus gemere..._"

He continued as the spell circle began to glow ominously. Chains that materialized from the circle's magic kept the amazon in place. Slowly, very slowly, the pink ranger's eyes opened and bright light nearly made them shut again. She tried to sit up but the chains binding her to the altar restricted her movement.

"What trickery is this?" She groaned as she struggled. When she looked to her side, she got her answer. "YOU!" Shadius muttered a bit more of his incantation before answering her.

"Ah... so the tribal princess awakens. Don't worry. It will all be over soon." He continued his chanting, completely engrossed in it.

"You bastard! Let me go!" She snarled, ever the savage. Shadius ignored her petty threats knowing she couldn't do anything at the moment. All was going according to plan.

************************************************************

Back on the battle field, the rangers, miraculously, gained enough strength to scatter around the fallen Celeste.

"Celeste!" James shouted.

"Come on, wake up!" Jun cajoled, trying to revive her.

"Mom! Say something, please!" Byron pleaded. Celeste's morph finally undoes herself as she coughed, signalling life. She turned to Byron as she said quietly,

"Byron... take them... and leave." Byron shook his head vehemently.

"Mom... I-we can't just leave you here! We won't! Will we, guys?" Byron asked.

"Of course not!" Replied Jun.

"We will never leave anyone behind!" James said simply, his eyes hiding a deep pain.

"You're like a mom to all of us, not just Byron." Hannah added.

"I know we didn't exactly get along at first, but I respect you, Celeste... and you're too important to die here." Helix concluded. A rhythmic pattern of footsteps had the team sliding their attention back towards Reapus who was standing mere feet from them.

"Touching... but very irrelevant. You all will die. It doesn't matter how long you delay that." He moves towards them. "But... if you enjoyed that show, then perhaps I should show you... what true despair is!" With insane speed, the crimson devil wisps by and snatches James by the collar.

"Let him go!" Hannah screamed. James reached back and punched Reapus in the face with all his might. Despite being unmorphed, it still had a good bit of force to it. Reapus, despite being unhurt, rubbed his cheek.

"Heh... not bad, blue boy. You got spunk. I like that in my victims. You know what I like more though?" With a quick motion, he raised his leg and kneed the poor ranger in the stomach causing a fair bit of blood to drip from his mouth. "Causing things pain! And nothing gives me more pleasure than to hear the screams of the loved ones as I kill them off one by one!" He takes hold of one of James' arms and twists it around, ripping the muscles in it. The sick tear causes him to scream from the pain.

"JAMES!" Helix yelled with a growl.

"Oh, my god!" Hannah gasped.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Byron demanded.

"Oh? Have I struck a nerve?" Reapus taunted. He held James' other arm and squeezed it, crushing the bones inside. With another howl of pain James began to pant. Reapus smirked. "So, still spunky, boy?" James gritted his teeth.

"G-G-Go to hell!" He managed to choke out. Reapus nodded. He threw James down and stepped on his back, intent on breaking his spine.

"You first!" He snarled.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Helix growled.

"Ah... the screams of desperation. I haven't heard them in such a long time. Let's milk it for all it's worth!" He picked up James again and began to talk again. "Hmmm... seems like this one's almost done. How about we continue with another playmate?" He threw James into the ground, making him slide through the rocks, giving him nasty cuts and gashes. Reapus walked to Helix next. "I wonder what kind of games I can play with you, golden boy?"

"Let's find out!" Helix challenged. Reapus shook his head at the gold ranger's bravado. He took a good look at Helix, registering his features. With a slightly annoyed tone, he spoke to him,

"Those eyes... your ancestors had them, too. They're the eyes of someone who is about to die, yet is still defiant. They disgust me!" He proceeded to kick Helix in the face, landing him in the rock pile next to James. Jun cringed at how easily Helix went down. He wasn't crazy about the guy, but he had to respect how he stood up to Reapus.

"Byron... stay with Hannah. Don't leave her for a second." Jun said with steely determination.

"Jun, you can't!" Hannah began to plead. Reapus turned.

"Oh? So green's next?"

"Get everyone out of here, Byron!" Jun said as he stood up.

"JUN!" Hannah shouted. Byron didn't want to leave. Not just yet.

"Not without you!" Reapus shook his head.

"The old heroic sacrifice? Hah! You aren't too bright, boy. If those three couldn't even stand up to me, how are you going to stand any chance?"

"As long as they get away, I don't care!" Jun replied. _Especially Hannah_. He thought. Reapus walked towards him.

"Well, I don't care for heroics!" He reached forward and grabbed Jun by the head. With a mighty throw, he slammed him into the ground, twisting his neck slightly. Not finished, he threw him up and elbowed him down again, making him bounce back from the force of the impact, the blood flowing from his now limp body.

"JUN!" Hannah screamed with tears in her eyes. Reapus turned his head.

"Get it now? Red boy, THIS is despair." He walked casually to his last victim, Hannah. "I left the girl for last since a woman's screams are simply divine to my ears."

"You're not touching her!" Byron snarled as he stood protectively in front of her.

"And what will you do about it? Your friends are on the brink of death and you're about to join them!" Byron looked at the broken bodies of Jun and Helix, but the one who lit a fire in him was that of James. This was the guy who first found him and took him in without a second thought. This was his very first friend on this planet. This was the guy he was proud to call "brother". Reapus shrugged.

"I guess it's about time I finished this. It's been fun, rangers." He gathered fire into his fists. "You've no idea how beautiful a woman can be when she is in blissful pain." Reapus reached forward, past Byron and grabbed Hannah's wrist. She screamed in pain as the flesh started to char and burn from her body, flaking into ashes. That was the last straw. Something in the fresh-faced warrior snapped and his eyes seemed to glow with the fire that's within him. With a struggle, Byron stood himself up, looking more dignified than anything, even with his battle damaged appearance. A flaming cyclone that matched Reapus' earlier display encompassed him. Moments later, out of a blaze of glory, appeared Byron, suited up in his kingly form. His archaic sword growled as he wielded it. With a flick of his wrist the sword bent and zigzagged around in the air, taking a bite out of Reapus' hand. He flinched, letting go of Hannah, who had passed out from the pain.

"My turn!" Byron growled. Reapus charged the radiant red warrior, both of whom had their swords at the ready. Sparks flew as the two attacked each other. "I'm going to make good on James' promise... **and send you to Hell!**" Thundered Byron as they stood in close quarters. Reapus looked upon Byron in his new attire and he could feel the essence of Orion radiate from him.

"Ah, so the rumors are true." He smirked.

"Rumors?" Byron narrowed his eyes, watching everything he did.

"That you are Orion's successor. I never would have believed it... someone as weak as you!" Reapus taunted as he charged. Byron slipped backwards, avoiding Reapus' assault. He, in turn, he slashed down. The sword, acting on his will, bent and aimed for his neck. Reapus blocked the sinewy blade with his own fearsome one.

"Not bad... for a novice." And on they went, neither side on the verge of backing down. Byron huffs as he looks down at his fallen comrades.

"You're about to see; my mom isn't the only one with crazy plans!" Before Reapus could ask what he meant, Byron held out his palm. **"OMEGA TERMINAL!"** He snapped the terminal onto his powered-up strider and it gave a mighty roar. If Byron was shining like a star before... he was now able to make even the sun blush.

"Now, get ready to join your general!" Byron snarled. He brought up his all powerful sword and landed a mighty blow to the crimson tyrant. It didn't finish him off but it did buy the red warrior the time he needed to teleport himself and his friends to safety. Reapus was blinded by the attack for than enough time, but the smoking bruises on his arms seem to sing with pain.

"Heh... the boy may not be as weak as I thought... but this isn't over. Not by a long shot." Reapus picked himself up and walked leisurely towards the city, figuring Shadius was near.

************************************************************

Back on Celeste's star, Byron appeared in a red flash with his mother and his friends all beaten to bloody pulps. As he looked around, he heard the sound of footsteps coming towards him. From out of Celeste's personal chambers came a fully healed Nikolas.

"What in the world..." He asked in piqued curiosity. Byron collapsed into a chair as he explained.

"Besides the fact that we just lost Tacari, had our asses handed to us by a Lucifer impersonation and me mentally snapping? Nothing much happened." Nikolas just stood there in shock. He counted the bodies lying in a heap in front of him and, sure enough, there was no sign of the pink ranger.

"Okay... this may be a stupid question, but why was she taken?" He asked as he went to see if he could tend to the others. Especially Celeste who went out of her way to help him. The mention of Tacari's name made James twitch. He opened his eyes and muttered,

"Bastards..." He managed to sit himself up. Byron shook his head.

"She was apparently the Heart or something... which pretty much gave her the powers of a god...er... goddess." Byron corrected himself. James stood up, defying everything that a medical expert may say about his broken condition. He dragged himself, even more miraculously, towards the door.

"She... she was the Heart of Miranoi all along?" Nikolas asked himself. When he saw James getting up and walking, he tried to stop him. "Are you mad? You're in no shape to blink let alone walk!"

"You're... Nick was it?" James didn't let him answer. "You're part Styxerian. You should know something... ANYTHING! Do you know where they might take her?"

"Well..." Nikolas began. "There is another set of ruins. They're underneath the city and chances are, there's another temple. If I know Shadius... he took her there." Needing no other explanation, James nodded and turned, planning full well to go by himself if need be. Byron watched his friend take stilted steps towards the door and stood in front of him.

"James, wait!" He said with his arms stretched out. "Nikolas is right. Look at you. No offense, but I've seen Jello with more structure than you do right now. Let me go rescue Tacari."

"...Shut up!" James had a flare in him that Byron probably didn't see. He put a hand against the wall and continued. "You know... when we first met her, I thought to myself, 'Man, this is a chick I'll never like.' I never thought of it much, but I guess as the days went on and we got to know her better... let's just say this is my fight and I plan to rescue her with my bare hands." Byron and the others looked at James and saw a side to him they never thought possible. It was no secret that the two weren't on the same page in the early goings... but now... Byron just nodded and went with his friend. Like it or not, James was stuck with him through good and bad.

"Yo! Forgetting something?" The two rangers turned around to see the other romantic trio of the evening. Hannah, with Jun and Helix flanking her, had their arms crossed. Hannah smiled.

"Leaving us out of the loop?"

"Yeah, you're not going on this rescue mission without us." Helix smirked.

"He's right. Tacari is one of us." Jun replied. "We either finish this together... or we don't finish at all."

"Guys..." Byron sighed, a look of resign on his own face.

"Then we better hurry." James smiled appreciatively. Byron looked at his friends and at his mom who was being helped by Nikolas.

"Guys... this could be the last day we stand as rangers." He said in a serious tone that didn't fit Byron at all. Helix shrugged.

"Now isn't the time to be so dramatic, Byron. We're all definitely coming back." Byron nodded and the five teleported away, to what would be their fate.

************************************************************

Meanwhile...

A gust of wind blew through the pipes and into the air as the circle grew and grew, filling itself in. Next to the marble altar, the devious one finished his chanting. "_...sicut ignis incendere carnem. Ventum es anima subtrahit rebellis. Quasi terram trahunt vos corpus. Aqua, salus peccatorum. All accipitur. All comprehenditur. Et omnia mea imperare. Cor Core nunc in mea ueni!_" A ghastly hand, sickly like a phantasm, hovered over the amazon's heart. Tacari, who was still chained to the altar, kept struggling to break free.

She was about to speak but the only sounds that escaped her lips were screams of pain. The sound was a mix of her feminine and savage sides coming together in anguish. Her body writhed and arched as the ghastly hand seemed to suck the life force from her. Shadius mocked wiping a tear from his eye. "Oh, how pretty! Soul crushing pain is a nice look for you." He laughed, his insanity filling the halls. Tacari's screams filled the halls as well as the hand slowly slid out of her body. Shadius, so engrossed in his pleasure, didn't see the glint in the distance. Plunging through halls, a platoon of energy arrows shot forward, all aimed with intent to kill. In an instant before impact, the wispy form of Abomination appeared in a flash knocking the arrows away.

"TACARI!" Called a voice off in the distance. Shadius turned to face his guests. He noticed five colors coming through the darkness and a scowl crossed his face.

"I see Reappy-boy didn't send you to the great beyond like he planned." He smirked. "Oh, well. He is getting on in years." James stood as leader of the pack. He transformed his bow back into its sword form.

"Unless you want your head to roll, you're going to give Tacari back!" Shadius smirked at the defiant blue ranger.

"Oh, you want this pretty little thing back? Let me think about that... No." He said quickly. "I'll give her back when she's as stone cold as the altar she's writing on!" If her weakening body wasn't enough to light a spark in the blue ranger, her fading screams were.

"YOU BASTARD!" James charged forward. He didn't care that his body was broken. He didn't care that his legs were ragged. His eyes were tunneled to her and only her. He didn't notice the golden aura around him, encompassing his form and becoming the trademark vest of a Strizer. The Terminal appeared on his sword instantly. His screams finally awakened the amazon in time for her to see the bright golden light enveloping the blue ranger.

"James..." She whispered.

Abomination rushed him, attacking him with his smoky claw. James activated the Terminal as his blade flowed with blue energy.  
**"AURORA BLADE, OMEGA MODE!"** With a slash, he cleaved through the monster with ease. He didn't miss a beat and placed his other disk into it. **"OMEGA NEBULA!"** His blade burst with cyan colored energy. He slashed behind him, evaporating all the wisps of smoke before they could come together. The invincible Abomination... was destroyed just like that.

"WHAT! IMPOSSIBLE!" Shadius shouted in anger. James stopped right at the circle's edge.

**"VIGOROUS AS AN OCEAN TEMPEST, OMEGA STRIZER BLUE!"** The blue ranger pointed his sword at Shadius, gripping it tightly. "Now, I'm gonna finish what Tacari started!" He snarled. Shadius backed away slightly, but behind him, the hand had successfully slipped out of the amazon's body, holding a beautiful translucent sphere with an emerald sheen. The devious villain grinned madly.

"FOOLS! With this... I will surpass even that nonsensical fool Reapus and become a god!" He snatched it from the phantasm's hand and dug it deep into himself, burying it deep. Instantly, a trail of lightning flew over his body as his wounds began to heal themselves. The rangers watched as Shadius began to regenerate. The shock that he could possibly win started to overwhelm them.

"No!" Byron shouted. Before anyone else could protest, the planet began to tremble. The trembles turned into shakes which evolved into a full blown earthquakes; it was as if the planet was crying in pain itself. The tremors were so violent, Tacari began to scream out in pain as if she felt the planet falling apart. James sidestepped Shadius and scooped up Tacari in his arms. He looked down to make sure she wasn't bodily harmed. Even after losing the heart, it looked like she was still alive, somehow. The amazon was limp in his arms, but she was still conscious of the fact that she was no longer chained.

"We have to go!" Cried Hannah as the ruins began to cave in.

"You're right; James has Tacari!" Helix pointed out.

"Let's move, people!" Byron commanded. James nodded. The six of them, now reunited, teleported out of the ruins as the mad-with-power effeminate schemer was laughing all the way as the rocks fell around him. In a flash of multicolored lights, the six emerged from the ruins to find a very disturbing image.

"No..." The amazon whispered in shock.

"What... the hell?" Uttered James as well.

"What in the world..." Jun gasped.

"Oh my, goodness..." Hannah said in shock.

"How... why...?" Byron was at a loss for words. In front of them was the sight of a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Where the once shining city once was, the tremors had caused the walls to collapse and the Tower... the symbol of the strength of the city, had been destroyed. Its ruins lie in a barren and dead soil. As fas as the eye could see, there was nothing but death. No green was left on the planet. Not even a soul. Then a frightening thought crossed Hannah's mind.

"The animals..." That was when Tacari sat up. Her little ones... what happened to them? Hoping against hope, she called for them. She was rewarded with silence. Her calling grew more desperate as she started to strain herself. Still nothing. James held his head down. They were gone. Everyone felt her despair. Each one had their encounter with Tacari's precious babies. A rumble in the sky, what would normally prelude to an incoming storm, had a cackle coming from it. The six looked up as the face of Shadius appeared in full glory.

"Yoo-hoo! You like what I did with the place? Renovating is such a lovely hobby of mine." All six rangers had a look that could give Medusa the shakes. Even Tacari, who was still weakened, was feeling a second wind. This monster had all but killed the planet she loved.

"My my! If looks could kill, I think I'd be a dead man about now... or I would be. Thank you for your assistance, young lady. Because of you, I have now become a god!" He winked at Tacari making her hatred boil in her blood.

**"You despicable LEECH! I'll make you wish you never crawled out of the cess pool you came from!"** She snarled as tears fell from her eyes. That was the first time anyone saw any kind of emotion come from the amazon besides her typical rage. It was a surprise to everyone, including James.

"Charmed. But as I am, I'm invincible. And besides... you have another guest to deal with, I'm sure." Shadius motions towards the horizon. A barely noticeable red blur slowly approached them. "This is it rangers... there will be no running away this time. You and the Crimson dynamo over there are going to fight... to the death!"

The six rangers braced themselves for the most difficult and mentally taxing battle of their lives.

************

_This is it. The final showdown. With all the battles they fought, they forged irreplaceable bonds. Now, it's time to test them. How will they save the day and restore Miranoi to its former glory? Don't miss the action-packed epic conclusion of..._

_**Power Rangers: GALAXY STRIDERS!**_

=====

End of Act 19


	20. End of Eternity, Pt II

**Chapter 20: End of Eternity, Pt. 2**

The wind blew fiercely across the dead landscape. On one side, the rangers were all morphed, save for one. On the other, Reapus, ready to tear them out of existence. The combatants stood face to face with each other, possibly for the last time. Reapus pointed over to them.

"Planning to run again, cowards?"

The blue ranger gently set Tacari down to stand before he clenched his fists in anger.

"No, we're planning to kick your butt... again!" James shot back defiantly.

"And for the final time." Hannah said bravely.

"Really?" Reapus scoffed. "Last time I checked, I wiped the floor with all of you... literally."

Tacari's resolve strengthened when she looked upon the red scourge.

"Only because you and this miserable excuse for a cockatoo stole powers that don't rightfully belong to you!"

"Oh...? So he took the heart, did he?" Reapus stared into the sky. "I'll deal with you soon, fruit bat." He unsheathed his sword and began to walk towards the rangers. "Now, let's get this over with. You won't survive to see the light of day ever again."

"Tacari... please don't take this the wrong way, but how do you feel about going full on jungle b!tch on his sorry behind?" Helix asked the pink amazon and when he did, he didn't know whether to fear the wrath of Reapus and Shadius or his pink teammate. Tacari looked at the gold ranger and the others who were already in their ranger garb and nodded.

"You're lucky I'm ready to fight." She said. **"RIDE THE NOVA!"** In a pink flash, she transforms for what could be the last time.

Reapus drew them forward with a signal from his hand.

"Come, then."

Byron turned to his friends. "Alright guys... for Miranoi! **NOVA BIHANDER!****"  
****"NEBULA BOGEN!"****  
****"CELESTIAL FAN!"****  
****"ASTRAL LANCE!"****  
****"STAR GRAZER!"****  
****"AQUOS HATCHET!"**

As the rangers finished calling their weapons, Byron stood in front of them, leading in their eleventh hour roll call.

**"FIERY AS THE PLANET'S CORE! GALAXY STRIDER RED!"** Byron shouted.

**"UNPREDICTABLE AS A TSUNAMI! GALAXY STRIDER BLUE!"** James called out.

**"FIERCE AS A WINDSTORM! GALAXY STRIDER PINK!"** Tacari said with confidence.

**"STRONG AS A FOREST! GALAXY STRIDER GREEN!"** Jun exclaimed.

**"STEADY AS A MOUNTAIN! GALAXY STRIDER YELLOW!"** Hannah shouted.

**"FASTER THAN LIGHTNING ITSELF! GALAXY STRIDER GOLD!"** Said Helix audibly.

**"We protect this planet with the power of the stars! POWER RANGERS: GALAXY STRIDERS!"** All six struck their poses and they all seemed to have an ethereal aura to them.

"Cute." That was all Reapus said. Byron led the charge, their spirits ablaze with a second wind. The six rangers rushed forward with renewed vigor, fully intent on ending things once and for all. A strange energy crept up from their bodies and it felt like they were getting an assist from the planet, as if the elements themselves were being channeled in their bodies. Hannah ran ahead of the pack.

**"Star Grazer, SPIN!"** She threw her shuriken-like weapon towards Reapus, the weapon was glowing a yellow sheen that wasn't present before. **"With the strength of diamonds... STAR GRAZER SLICE!"** She shouted.

"Not enough to pierce me!" Boasted Reapus. Hoisting his sword in front of him, he blocked the saw-like blades. It started to spark against his own metal as the weapon pushed him back. "YYEEARGH!" He growled, deflecting the weapon into the ground where it burrowed itself.

"I'm not done yet!" The timid yellow ranger smirked under her helmet. She was about to prove that this kitten of a ranger has sharp claws. **"FISSURE RAGE!"** Placing a palm on the ground, she focused on Reapus and poured her energy into the earth. In the next moment, a violent tremor began to shake underneath the red tyrant's feet.

"W-what is this?" He shakily called out as he lost his balance temporarily.

"It's called awakening as a warrior!" Hannah replied. "You can thank your old buddy Orion for that!" Jun rushed in, avoiding the trembling ground. With a quick stab, he aimed to create a chink in this monster's armor. Reapus let himself fall back, avoiding the contact of the blade.

Nice try!" He bellowed during the tremor.

"Oh, that wasn't my try." Jun chuckled. He looked down and found some plant roots that had survived. _"Perfect."_ He thought. Awakening his dormant powers over plants, he began to glow. His energy traveled into the ground and infused with the plant roots turning them into vines. **"VINE ENSNARE!"** Jun shouted as the vines wrapped around Reapus' legs, momentarily holding him in place. "Now, let's try this again!" Grabbing his spear, he ran forward like a knight on horseback and pierced the tyrant's shoulder.

"ARRGGGH!" Roared Reapus. Not many had injured the beast and lived to talk about it. Out of rage, his energy turned into fire around his body/ The intense heat caused the vines to wither. With one solid blow, he punched Jun away, ripping the lance from his shoulder.

"Fire... that's the LAST thing you should be using right now!" James smirked under his helmet. To his left, James let fly a dozen, no, hundreds of arrows into the sky. With a mighty crash, they rained down onto the titan. But Reapus was prepared.

"What's a little rain?" He thundered as he spun his sword at high speeds, deflecting all the arrows that came to him. Some of them flew back towards the blue ranger, but James, too, was prepared. Holding up his bow, the arrows slowed to a halt and reformed into swirling water.

"Okay... take two!" He snarled. The water swelled around his blue bow but something strange happened. The water... froze into ice. He pulled the plunger back and looked Reapus right in the eye. "Let's see how you do against this! **GLACIAL ARROWS!**"

"Bring it on!" Taunted Reapus. He brought up his sword to block, but didn't realize his sword had also frozen from that little act earlier. With numbers to their advantage, the icy arrows broke through the giant sword, shattering it into pieces. The remaining arrows trailed Reapus' body, mostly hitting the open wound Jun had left.

"!" Reapus blasted a roar at James, knocking him away. As James landed from the sonic attack, Tacari stood between him and the crimson behemoth.

"Sister wind, lend me your wings!" She chanted. Reapus wasn't letting his guard down again. Three got the drop on him and he'd be damned if this ranger did, too. He lunged forward with fisticuffs and threw a punch at the pink ranger with enough force to K.O. a whale. But the amazon twisted her body like a tornado and dodged the blow, then she went in with her fan and whipped up a gust that knocked him away from her.

"I've been waiting for this fight for a long time!" She snarled.

"I don't know where you got this power from," Started Reapus. "But I WILL end you!" He gathered more flames around him and charged the amazon with raging fury.

"No... YOU WON'T!" Tacari challenged and soon both warriors engaged in a battle that would go down in history. As Reapus tried to incinerate the amazon, Tacari used the wind to lift her into the air and, with her fan, she flew down and swooped by the tyrant, slashing him with the bladed edge of her weapon. James woke up long enough to see the pink ranger in all her glory.

"Yeah, Tacari! Go primal on his $$!" Called James with gusto. The jungle woman smirked as she gracefully landed on her feet and faced Reapus again.

"This... is for my little ones! **HEAVEN'S GALE CHAINS!"** The howling winds came to her aid as they ensnared the demon king. He tried to break free of them, but his flames were fanned down from the intense winds.

"INSOLENT CURS! RELEASE ME!" Helix and Byron, now accompanied by the other four rangers, stood in front of the trapped Reapus.

"I think it's about time-" Helix began.

"-we sent you packing!" Finished Byron. Byron felt it, a deep burning sensation in his soul. Calling it to the surface, a flare of energy encompassed his other hand and became a solid mass. With a swing of his arm, the flames died out, revealing a second Bihander. "Now for the finisher!" The boys set off together, their target held in place. Helix drew his sword and blurred in the blink of an eye.

**"SHOOTING STAR BARRAGE!"** He flew straight through Reapus, slashing him hundreds of times, each strike filled with emotion. Byron followed close behind, raising both swords.

**"This is for the people of Miranoi!"** He slashed down, leaving a large scar on the tyrant. **"This is for the innocent animals in the forest!"** He heaved his second bihander into his chest making Reapus scream in agony. He held both of them up. **"And this is for hurting my friends! ****NOVA BREAK!****"** His swords ignited, each one emitting flames that would put most stars to shame. He shoved both swords into Reapus' wounds and sliced clean through his body, turning the once shining red tyrant into a charred totem.

"Dammmnnn... youuu... alll... this... can't... beeee...!" All six rangers watched as Reapus slowly started to expire... unfortunately, they momentarily forgot one tiny detail... and it was floating overhead waiting for the right time to strike.

"FASCINATING!" Applauded Shadius. "Congratulations! I never imagined Reappy boy would lose!"

"Well, you're next!" James shouted up in the air. "Come on down like a man and take your beating like Reapus did!"

"Hmm... good idea! But I think I'll be doing the beating down, hun." He turned himself into a dark wisp, like a puff of smoke. "MOVE OVER, REAPPY-BOY! THERE'S A NEW LANDLORD IN TOWN!" He shot into Reapus and merged with him. Reapus clutched his chest and reeled in agony as his body transformed. In a swirl of gold and black energy, his body transformed into an... ugly hybrid of the two. "Ah... power truly is intoxicating..." Shadius slurred out. The rangers gasped in shock and horror as the hybrid appeared before them. If Reapus wasn't bad enough, this combo had the worst of both worlds, so to speak.

"I see they refuse to admit defeat, easily." Tacari muttered. "Fine. it will just make our victory all the sweeter, right Byron?"

"You got it!" Byron answered.

Shadius smirked. "Well, well. Aren't we confident? But then, that will make MY victory party even more fun when you're all dead." With his newfound powers, Shadius drew energy from the heart, causing himself to grow tall. "I'M KING OF THE WORLD!"

"Oh, God! I HATED THAT MOVIE! Let's KICK HIS $$!" Hannah shouted making everyone look at her weirdly.

"Wow, didn't know you had that side of you... I like." Jun said aloud.

"Can you be any hotter?" Helix asked with a wink.

"Guys, FOCUS!" Tacari snarled.

"Mortal enemy now, hotness debate later!" James agreed. Byron shrugged as he held up his little zord.

"C'mon guys... one last time!"

"RIGHT!" They all shouted.

**"ALPHA LION!"****  
****"BETA DRAGON!"****  
****"GAMMA TURTLE!"****  
****"DELTA BEAR!****  
****"EPSILON MONKEY!"****  
****"KAPPA GRAPPLER!"**

The six zords combined, with James at the lead. Byron had other matters to attend to. **"HELIOS STRIDER MEGAZORD!"**

Byron took out his Mu disc and spun it. **"MU GUARDIAN, TRANSFORM!"** The giant bull arose from the earth and arrived on the battle field. Combining with the cart it rolled, it transformed. **"MINOTAUR GUARDIAN OMNIZORD, POWER UP!"** Before the sinister hybrid, the rangers' two most powerful configurations stood.

"Let's not waste any time." Jun suggested. "Let's bring out our big guns!" James nodded as he shouted:

**"OMEGA STAR SUMMON! STRIZER TEMPEST CANNON!"** The triad, plus the kraken zord, combined with themselves, forming the ranger's most powerful weapon.

"Let's make this shot count!" Hannah nodded.

"Mu... this is for Miranoi, Mike... and your son." Byron said. The guardian roared in agreement. "Let's go, guys!" He thrusted the sword forward. The slots opened on the wheel at its foot, letting it fly into the zord's horns. **"UNIVERSAL SALVO!"** The Gatling gun in its left hand fired, a giant beam of energy accompanying it from the large disc on its crown. The others lined up their shot and James took the lead.

**"STRIZER TEMPEST CANNON! FIRE!"** The cannon exploded with multicolored energies, all aimed at one lone target. Shadius smiled as both attacks, with full force, hit their target in a massive explosion.

"Direct hit!" Called James. The rangers were all cheering, save for one. The amazon in pink knew better.

"Something's not right." She uttered.

"Come on! They're toast!" Helix cheered. "There's no way they could survive that. Our cannon AND the Mu Guardian?" From out of the smoke, a sing-song voice rang out,

"You should listen to your pinky friend..." The smoke lifted, showing that Shadius was not only alive, but completely unfazed. He dusted himself off. "It was a nice effort; I'll give you that, but, as I said before, you're fighting against a god, therefore, everything you do is useless!"

"Oh, come on!" James shouted. "He can't be serious!"

"He's not! Because nothing's useless or impossible!" Byron challenged.

Shadius chuckled. "You're more of a fool than I could ever have imagined. Spouting things such as that nonsense is precisely why you will all die!" In a swirl of crimson and gold energy, Shadius condensed it into a large ball and fired it at the two zords, holding nothing back.

"Brace yourselves!" Jun yelled as everyone hunkered down for the inevitable impact. And did it leave an impact. As soon as it reached the team, the following explosion was so powerful it ripped the zords from their combined states. It even reverted the Guardian back into his bull state. When the smoke cleared, the rangers weren't in as good a position as Shadius was. Eleven zords were scattered across the battle field which was starting to feel more like a graveyard.

"Man... that wasn't good!" Hannah groaned. "He's too powerful!"

"We can't give up!" Tacari grunted. "We're charged with saving Miranoi... the universe from this evil!" Shadius walked upon them leisurely.

"You see? Nothing will change the destiny I have forged. I will become the true god of the universe. And my first act will be to wipe out all of existence. I will mold the entire cosmos after me and no one will stand up to my powers... which is why, in order for my dreams to become a reality, I need to dispose of you six overzealous brats in spandex!"

"Great! A universe full of DRAG QUEENS!" Helix shot back. "That ain't happening!"

"I won't let you destroy these kids' futures!" Hannah said bravely.

"I'm with Hannah! Who are you to play god with these innocents?" Jun replied passionately.

"You have no right to decide our destinies! Only WE have that right!" Tacari shouted.

"And our destiny... is to WIN!" Answered James.

"And yours is to die!" Helix replied confidently. "This is OUR home and we want you out!"

"We will stand together to the end Shadius!" Byron finished. The evil shadow monarch shook his head.

"How utterly foolish for you mortals! I suppose this is the end. Farewell and good riddance!" He started to levitate in the air, gathering energy massive enough to destroy them all. The rangers, who were all helpless in their scattered zords, didn't show their fear. If this was it, they weren't going to cower. They were NOT going give evil that satisfaction. The entire sky above them turned black for an instant, foretelling the coming of a certain someone. The rangers all looked to the sky as a familiar golden orb descended from the darkness. Shadius dodged the path of the orb and backed away from it.

"No... It can't be! I thought you were dead!" Shadius shuddered.

"In a way, I guess I was." Orion turned his attention to his rangers. "Young warriors, you have done well thus far and have met my expectations. You have walked the correct path. And, as always, you must defeat this enemy by becoming one." James and the others looked at the glowing golden orb as he tilted his head.

"But aren't we already?" He asked.

"I thought we were. Was there something we missed?" Offered Hannah.

"Maybe Orion means united in a different way..." Supposed Jun, ever the scholar.

"Hmmm, if WE'RE already united as a team... perhaps..." Tacari began. Byron shot up.

"Unite... as one..." Something clicked. Pulling out the Lambda disk, he placed it onto his sword, transforming it into the Lambda Strider. At once, a flowing robe of red satin graced his shoulders. "Let's bring all 12 together!" By now, the others had realized what the golden knight meant. Orion nodded.

"Yes, my son. Release the true power of the twelve discs that the Galaxy itself forged! Bring them together like they were meant to be!" With that, the golden knight disappeared into the black sky, making it turn a strange bluish-orange as the sun began to set over the horizon.

"Oh, yeah! Now you're talking!" James shouted excitedly. Byron threw the strider out of his zord, letting it expand. The dragon saber growled at Shadius, fangs bared. Drawing a brand new symbol into the air, Byron called out, **"Zords Unite, FINAL FORM!"**

The eleven fallen zords came to life and started to stampede towards Shadius, the combined power of the twelve zords pushed Shadius back, making him slide over. The Mu Guardian formed the base as the other zords filed in, the triad and kraken zords joining the fray. The zord's crown remained the same, but now housed the giant Mu disc that served as the wheel for the cart Mu was pulling. Once the zords settled in on the combination, the giant combination reached out and wielded the dragon-bladed Lambda Strider. **"EMPEROR STRIDER ULTRAZORD!"** The team called out. Shadius looked upon the new combination and scoffed at it.

"Please, you expect me to believe that can destroy me? I've seen better toys out of Happy Meals!" Shadius chuckled evilly.

"This 'toy' is the ultimate form of our hope for the future." Hannah spat back.

"Reapus underestimated us and we took him down. History repeats itself, Mr. Drag Queen!" commented Helix.

"I think it's about time we took some revenge for everything this fruitcake has put us through." James nodded to Tacari.

"Tih tsa ti tsarg!" Tacari said in her native tongue.

"Come on Byron, give the call!" Egged on Jun who was just about ready to see this guy die. Byron stayed silent for a moment until he raised his sword. The others followed. The ultrazord mimicked their every move.

"This will end it! **STAR DISK..."** All twelve of their discs shot out of the zord and rotated around the giant strider like an atom. **"...EXPLOSION!"** Atop its head, the giant Mu disc spun like a generator and fired an awesome amount of power towards Shadius. He tried to force the blast back with his own power, his aura flaring up in gold and crimson.

"I REFUSE TO BE BEATEN!" He shouted. The rangers held on for dear life, trying to force the blast with their target. Raising their swords, the Lambda Strider in the ultrazord's hand roared.

**"STELLAR DRAKE!"** Called Byron. The team slashed down, causing the dragon to shoot forward, slashing Shadius multiple times as it twisted and bent. Explosions rang out from each strike as Shadius began to lose strength in his own attack. With a shrill scream, the effeminate one exploded with the force of a couple hundred megatons of dynamite. Smoke began to pile as the rangers were still on their guard.

"Is it... over?" Hannah asked cautiously. After the last time, nobody celebrated. They knew better.

"We'll see." Tacari said ominously. A harsh wind blew the smoke away, as if by a whim. Standing in a charred and bloody state, barely on his last legs, was Shadius. He barely kept his balance.

"Youuuuu... accursed... RANGERS!" He yelled out.

"REALLY!" James shouted. "WHAT DOES IT TAKE WITH YOU!"

"I WON'T DIE UNLESS I TAKE YOU WITH ME!" Shouted Shadius. With a reflex as quick as lightning, he fired dozens of crimson bolts at them, attempting to make his last stand.

"INCOMING!" Helix shouted as the rangers braced themselves. With a forceful blast, Shadius' last ditch attack shook the ultrazord to the core. With a loud groan, the Mu Guardian and Helix's zords broke off and were strewn on the jungle grounds. The giant formation transformed in the Trinity Strider Megazord, while still wielding the Lambda Strider.

"He still has this much power?" Cried out an exasperated Jun.

"He a persistent slug!" Tacari growled. Shadius wobbled in his place, put his glare never left the megazord.

"Persistent? I thought I told you... I won't die, unless I take you with me!" Byron glanced at his entire team.

"We can still finish this. One more attack. All or nothing!"

"Let's do this!" James shouted. The megazord spread its mighty wings and took off into the sky. Diving back around, it made a beeline towards Shadius. **"STELLAR DRAKE; FULL POWER!"** The Lambda Strider glowed with the power of the eight remaining zords as the rangers raised their swords.

"CHOKE ON THIS, SHADIUS!" Hannah shouted. She seemed to be channeling her inner warrior for this fight.

"I'm gaining a whole new respect for you, Hannah." Tacari said.

"I don't think so!" Growled Shadius. Planting himself into the ground, he gathered all the remaining power he had and fired a golden stream of energy at them, stronger than the last wave. The blast nailed the Trinity Strider megazord and showers of sparks fell like snow across the barren wasteland. With audible cries, the three guardians fell from the zord, leaving the rangers with only their most basic form with the last five zords.

"Like that's going to stop us!" Shouted Jun. And he was right. Although shaken from that attack, the Strider King Megazord continued the charge, strider in hand.

"N-Noo! Stay back!" Cried Shadius as the rangers finally reached him.

"Okay, guys! **FOR MIRANOI!**" Byron shouted.

**"FOR MIRANOI!"** They yelled back. The rangers thrusted their swords forward, guiding the Megazord's movements. The giant dragon roared as it pierced Shadius, forcing itself through his body. A brilliant white light shot out from the wound as the dragon stopped its assault for some strange reason.

"! IT BURNS! MAKE IT STOP! OH, GOD, IT BURNS!" Screamed out Shadius as the light shot from his body.

"Huh? What's going on?" Helix asked.

"Why'd we stop?" Hannah asked with concern. Tacari felt a sudden warmth wash over her body and she knew what had happened.

"The heart... we've broken through to the heart." She said.

"Are you serious?" Asked James. He wasn't as in tune with it as she was, but he was concerned.

"I'm sure. I can feel it." The amazon whispered. Shadius started to move sporadically as his hands and legs started to turn to dust.

"NNNOOOOO! I'M A GOD! A GOD! I CANNOT DIE LIKE THISSSS!" He screamed as his body fell to ashes. The rangers watched as the effeminate scourge disintegrated into nothing. All wondered if this was just another ploy so they stood ready to fight just in case.

"There's no need. He's finally gone." Tacari said in an even tone. "It's over." An emerald spark flew out of the rubble and slowly rose to the Megazord's head. It delved into it like a phantom and floated in front of the rangers.

(A/N: For the full effect of the following scene, it is recommended you listen to this song as you read the rest of this scene: .com/watch?v=P6L4m2cnLjs )

"I never realized how beautiful it looks." Hannah said in awe. All of them were awestruck that an orb the size of a softball held such immense power. It floated in front of each one before stopping in front of Tacari. It glowed a brighter green before phasing back into her body... where it belonged. A pang of guilt flashed into the warrior's heart. For a moment, she felt unworthy. She felt like she had failed her home. As the warmth of the heart enveloped Tacari, the amazon closed her eyes and clasped her hands together. In a hushed voice, she whispered her desire to the heart.

"I know I have failed you and I am sorry. I wish to make amends and be your savior once more. I know it's asking a lot but... please... grant me one more chance." In a flash of green light, the entire team is transported from the Strider King Megazord and was back on solid ground. The amazon was soon enveloped in a luminous pink light. It gave her an ethereal glow that one wouldn't expect to see from someone as hard as Tacari. **"Fviver!"** She whispered as the light expanded. Before anyone could blink, the light raced across fields, oceans and mountains until it wrapped the planet in its rosy glow. It was so blinding, the other rangers had to shield their eyes. At first, there was silence, then...

Birds began chirping. The sound of rushing water could be heard from the falls outside the city. More miraculous... they could hear people. When the rangers opened their eyes, they found themselves in front of the walls of the city. The walls... the city... everything had returned to its former glory, if not better than before.

"We... we did it!" Hannah whispered. "We actually did it!"

"It's a miracle." Jun added in amazement.

"I think the Heart found the perfect savior for the planet." Helix replied. "We may have beaten Reapus and his crew, but Tacari's the real hero."

"Yeah, she saved us all." Byron grinned.

The amazon bowed her head at the sight of her revived planet and closed her eyes.

"I wouldn't have been able to without all of you." She whispered making everyone do a double take. It wasn't often she gave props to anyone!

"Today really **is** full of surprises, ain't it?" Helix chuckled, recovering from the shock. Their moment of shock wasn't over yet. The group hears the familiar sound of paws scurrying up other side of the wall. Coming up to sit on top of the wall were two very cute furry babies. Tacari looked up and her eyes widened in surprise. She had to make sure that she wasn't dreaming so she called up to the animals. Like adorable fluffy pillows, the two ran from their position and jumped into the amazon's arms, looks of curiosity attached to their innocent faces. Apparently they didn't remember the ordeal at all. They mewed up at her as if asking her what was going on. Tacari couldn't answer. Instead, she fell to her knees and held her babies close. Hannah watched as the hardened amazon's shoulders began to shake and she knew what was happening. When she heard the unmistakable sound of sniffling, she was certain. Tacari, the jungle girl forged by the wild, was crying. She was so overcome with seeing her precious animals that she couldn't hold in her emotions any longer. The fox and cabbit, confused, just licked her face and snuggled into her to comfort her as they always did.

James grinned. "See, even a kickass war goddess can show her soft side once in a while." The war goddess in question slowly pulled her head up and, without looking at James uttered...

"You're an idiot. I don't have a soft side." She denied. But it was out in the open. She couldn't take it back.

James grew indignant. "Dammit, Tacari! Why don't you just admit I'm right for once and stop being so stubborn?"

"The day I do that will be the day we admit we have feelings for each other. And that will never happen." She said with a bit of a small smirk lacing her voice.

"You two are IMPOSSIBLE!" Hannah laughed. Byron shrugged.

"Oh, well. At least things are back to normal, right?" He showed off his trademark smile as the rangers looked off into the horizon, the sun setting on this restless day.

************************************************** ********************

Back on a familiar looking star, which was illuminated even more by the sun's brilliant glow, the mood was strangely quiet. Celeste, tears in her eyes, walked to the window.

"My son..." She held her head down. "Orion... it's finally over. Our son finished the battle we started..." As a proud mother would, she began to think of a way to congratulate them all. For a moment, the luminous star was shrouded in darkness. Celeste sensed something behind her and turned slowly. There, in his knightly form, was Orion as imposing as ever. She welled up with tears. "Orion...?" He nodded. As if confirming it for her, his arms went up and grabbed his helmet. With a soft heave, he plucked it from his head, revealing his natural face and features. Celeste ran to him, embracing him in a hug. He stroked her hair as he said,

"My dear, Celeste... our son has done well, indeed. Take care of him. I'll always be watching..." He started to disappear. Celeste tried to grab a hold of his ghostly figure, but to no avail.

**"ORION!"** She called to him, her eyes still watery from the brief reunion. "Farewell, my love... I'll always remember..." Her train of thought was broken however, as she heard a click of a latch. Running to the inner chamber, she gasped. In the interim of things, she had forgotten about the Galaxy Rangers in their pods. The pod doors opened as the Galaxy Rangers stepped out of them, their memories still cloudy.

"What happened?" Asked Damon who had the most trouble with his balance. Kendrix racked her brain.

"I think... we were in a fight. And lost." Leo sprang up.

"That's right! We have to get down to Mira-" A calming light entered the room as Celeste spoke.

"Calm yourself, rangers." Celeste gently stated. "The threat has passed." The Galaxy Rangers stared, either in shock or awe, of this mysterious woman.

"Who... are you?" Asked Maya this time. Celeste bowed.

"My name is Celeste. I was a ranger, like yourselves, many many years ago. That enemy you faced was Reapus... and after a millennia of war, he has finally been vanquished." Kai thought about this for a second.

"But how? He was so strong..." Celeste nodded.

"Come, rangers. It is an epic tale. A tale I will most gladly recount to you all." With that, the Galaxy Rangers followed the celestial maiden into the main chamber, where she divulged the details of the events of the past few months in their absence.

************************************************** ********************

It was a few days later. It seemed no one but the select few who had been there remembered what had happened on that day the rangers won. While everyone walked around, happily and blissfully ignorant, one individual, standing in front of a beautiful marble grave, showed signs of depression. It was Leo, the leader of the Galaxy Rangers. He held his head down and looked into the cold earth. "Mike..." He hit the tombstone with his fist, hard enough to draw blood from his bruised knuckles. **"WHY? WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME AGAIN?"** He dropped to his knees. "I should've been there... I could've... done something..." From behind, Kendrix gently put her hand on his shoulder before giving it a squeeze.

"Leo." She whispered. "There was nothing we could do. But, Mike died a hero. If it wasn't for him, the Striders wouldn't have succeeded."

"He wasn't just a hero! He was my brother... and I lost him once already, Kendrix. I never thought... I'd lose him again this soon. If only I was stronger!" He was shaking, his fist clenched hard against the fabric of his jeans. Kendrix sighed, her own eyes filling with tears. Not just for Mike, but for Leo. She felt like she was failing in trying to consoling him. Soon, the figures of Byron and Karone walked up to the grave site.

"Oh... looks like someone's here." Commented Byron. He craned his neck to get a good look at Leo. "Hey... have I met you somewhere before?" Leo looked back to the source of the voice and saw the fresh face of Byron. Karone looked at the man at the grave site and sighed.

"Leo." She said giving him a tight hug. "I'm so sorry."

He hugged the former the pink ranger as tears rolled down his face. "Thank you..." He stared at Byron now. "Who's the kid?"

"Oh, this is Byron. He was the Galaxy Strider Red Ranger." Karone Introduced.

"Um... hi." Byron said shyly.

"This guy was the one who saved us all?" Leo scrutinized him. "I have a hard time believing that one."

"Well, believe it." Karone replied.

"Well... I had help. It wasn't just me; it was a team effort." He smiled.

"At least he's humble." He thought. "Sure it was. I'd like to meet your team then... sometime." Leo turned slightly to glance at Mike's grave again.

"Hey, Karone? Can I have a few minutes with Leo?" Byron asked.

"Um... sure. We should catch up anyway, right, Kendrix?" She asked, getting the message that Byron wanted to say something to Leo.

"Yeah, see you guys in a bit." Kendrix smiled before leaving with Karone. Soon the two red rangers stood in front of Mike's grave.

Leo glanced into Byron's eyes. Something about him was calming. "So, what does the rookie want to talk about?" Leo asked, his mind not quite in the conversation.

"I just wanted to tell you about Mike. During the time we were rangers, he talked about you all the time. He told us you and the others fought Reapus before we became rangers."

"Yeah. You see how well that turned out. We were beaten half to death and Mike..." Leo kicked himself mentally again.

**"Leo, look!"** Byron shouted, not meaning to. "Reapus was strong... hella strong. That was nobody's fault. If you think about it... you and the Galaxy Rangers set the wheels in motion for our victory over him and his goons." Byron began. "If it hadn't been for you guys facing him, I and my team would never have existed. And Mike was instrumental in building the ultrazord and helping us gain the Mu Guardian as an ally. If none of that happened, this place would be nothing but a barren mudball devoid of life..." Byron thought for a moment. "So... in a way... all of you were just as much a part in the victory as we were."

Leo shook his head. "Miranoi might've been saved, but what about Mike? It wasn't his time either!"

"Mike knew going in that some of us might not make it. He knew that when he fought with you." Byron reminded. "But he didn't care. All he could think about was saving Miranoi so you could have a safe place to return to. He did what he did for all of us, but, mostly... he did this for you. Your brother was a one-of-a-kind hero. He taught us so much while he was here and even though he's not here physically, he's here." He said pointing to his own heart. "And he's here." He said pointing to Leo's. "As long as he is, he's not really gone, right?" Leo couldn't help but grin.

"You remind me so much of him... thanks, kid." He ruffled his hair. "You're not too bad... for a rookie."

"Hey!" Byron laughed. Like Mike, he saw Leo as an older brother. "Feeling better?"

Leo wiped away the remains of what were his tears. "Yeah... I guess so. It's going to take some time... but I'm sure Mike wouldn't want me to be sad forever."

"No, he wouldn't. He'd want you to be happy." Byron smiled. "Be happy that we're at peace now... and so is he."

Leo nodded. "Sure, kid. In the meantime... I think we have two ladies waiting for us at the entrance."

"Yeah." Byron grinned.

"By the way... how DID you get Karone?" Leo asked with a smirk.

"Ummmm... uhh... spur of the moment?" Byron blushed. He had no problem telling the story to James and Helix, but Leo was a different story.

"I still wanna hear about it. You up for a guy's night later?" He asked.

"Uh, well you see... that's..." He sighed, figuring he'd get caught sooner or later. "Sure. How about we get going? You really shouldn't keep a lady waiting." Byron smiled.

"So true." Leo smiled. Soon, both red rangers walked together to join their lovely blondes.

************************************************** ********************

_**Eight Months Later...**_

(A/N: It is recommended you listen to this song for the rest of the chapter: .com/watch?v=X-AH-EGQ3Tk)

_Oh, hey! Byron here. I guess you guys are wondering what happened after me and the rest of the gang got our happily ever after, right? Heh... it certainly was an insane couple of months. Everything that happened, everything I learned about myself... it was sooooo amazing! I mean, could you believe I'm actually a king... OF THE STARS? Talk about epic!_

*ahem*

Sorry about that. But seriously, everyone's doing great. Our certified yellow gal, Hannah, finished her residency as a teacher's aide and got her degree. Now she's an advocate for all the schools in River End teaching classes in almost every district. Talk about a busy schedule, right? But that's not all! She and Tacari go around to the more... I guess "rural" would be the nice thing to say... tribes of Miranoi and teach their children. Turns out Tacari's got a great reputation all around the planet. Scary. Oh, one more thing… Tacari actually brings her little ones to the school! Never thought THAT would happen!

Jun's not doing too badly, either. Once Stanton got wind of Leo and crew's return, he immediately offered Mike's position to Leo. Needless to say, the big guy was happy to take it saying that he'd be honored. With that vacancy filled, Jun was ousted back into archaeology, which his coworkers were thankful for since none of them could read a lick of Miranoian. To be honest, I think Jun was happy to be back, too. Thanks to Celeste and Tacari, Jun's research reached an all time high, sped up by the fact that they had firsthand accounts of Miranoi as it was over a millennia ago. And... I think I saw a ring Jun's been hiding. Maybe he's gonna pop the question to a certain someone? =D

Anyways, speaking of the guys, after that burning incident with that harpy witch, me, James and Helix got a MUCH bigger apartment. And when I say big, I mean PENTHOUSE BIG. We probably could house like 12 people here... which is a good thing, since, without a place to go, Nik decided to come stay with us. He doesn't work, but since we live here rent-free (being a superhero DOES pay off!) no one gives him any beef. I know I don't.

James, surprisingly, went into politics. After that whole fiasco with the demolition of the jungle to make way for building, James advocated that we live in harmony with the surrounding wildlife, just as Tacari has. Turns out, he's a great public speaker and has the popular vote. He might even win Mayor! Gotta say I was proud of him for that one. I'm sure Tacari appreciates the effort, too.

Speaking of Tacari...

If you're wondering if she changed her mind about living in the city… well, uh… no. The jungle is, and will always be, her home, but she does, however, come to visit me and the gang every now and then. She's still the wild child we all know and… can I say "love" because I still think James has a thing for her. But enough about that. After the war, she was made priestess of her tribe... well… pretty much over ALL the tribes considering she's the keeper of the Heart. Oh, yeah… did I mention her precious "little ones" aren't so little anymore? It still amazes me how quickly they grew up. I'd say they're at the adolescent stage. The fox and cabbit are twice my size now and big enough to ride which is cool, especially to the kids. She and her animals take the more curious people of the city into the jungle and explain why it needs to be preserved. Something tells me that between her and James, nobody's gonna be cutting anything down in the jungle anymore.

And last, but definitely not least, our golden flash Helix has found his calling in life-being a chef. No, seriously! He actually is a great cook, something me and James found out after all this craziness was over. Although, ironically enough, his specialty seems to be seafood. I wonder if he ever feels guilty whenever he chops a squid or boils a lobster? (O.o) His zords must be scared of him by now. Oh, well... gotta make a living somehow, right?

As for me... I work at a modest little bakery down the street. It's small, but hey, they make some fine bagels. Oh, and I forgot to mention... Remember Karone? Lovely lady with blonde hair and a to die for body? Well... one thing lead to another... and now she's my wife! Funny how things go by so quickly, eh? *blush* Well, after the war with Reapus and friends, besides one or two incidents, nothing really major happened. We've been enjoying the peace so far, and I rather have it stay that way, even if I do get some urges to don the suit once again, just for old time's sake.

OH, CRAP! I'm late! Sorry, guys; I got another place to be so... guess I'll see you later? BYE!

************************************************** ********************

The jungles of Miranoi were once unchartered territory to all but a few tribes and the creatures who dwell within the lush foliage. Now, thanks to the former blue and pink rangers, the citizens of River End are more aware of the dense jungle outside their civilized world. The line separating tame and wild was steadily blurring. The ones who make a regular trek into the jungle are the former rangers and those who know them best. Today, the group is setting up a picnic in a clearing by the now peaceful Mari Lake. Now that Reapus was gone, the clear blue liquid had returned to its calm, peaceful state. The fish had returned and were jumping out of the water as if happy to have things back to normal. The rangers were amazed at the beauty the jungle held and wished they experienced it before.

"It's gorgeous." Hannah gasped.

"Yeah... I think even more so than before. Tacari's power must've made the planet younger in appearance, too. Everything's so... vibrant." Commented Jun. Karone and the Galaxy Rangers were setting up the picnic cloths and baskets. They, too, marveled at the beauty of the jungle.

"Can you believe we've been here all this time and never really appreciated this place?" Damon asked.

"I know. Maya, have you been to this part of the jungle?" Kendrix asked her team's resident jungle girl.

"Once. It was when I was a little girl. I could never find it again, though." Maya reminisced.

"Now, you can." Kendrix smiled. They all laughed, having a great time. But something was off. Hannah caught it first.

"Huh... anyone know where Byron is?" The others shook their heads. Karone shrugged.

"He said he had to do something. He's cute, but he's a little bit of a spaz." James nodded in agreement.

"Amen to that." He took a sip of his drink.

************************************************** ********************

Speaking of their fearless leader... Byron made his way through the jungle, flinging his head in different directions. On his left was lush green underbrush. On his right was even more lush green underbrush. Byron sighed as he sat down.

"Dang. I should have left with Karone. This place is harder to navigate than a house of mirrors!" Byron sat on the rock thinking of what he could do. A snapping twig turned his attention to the path ahead of him. A man, a little taller than he was, walked out of the brush. Byron tilted his head. The man's hair was a neat auburn and his eyes were a nice gray. His features seemed familiar to Byron, only more gruff and aged. He was wearing a simple white button down with some jeans.

"You lost, son?" The man asked. Byron could've sworn he heard this voice before.

"Ah... kind of." Byron blushed. He didn't like looking like a spaz in front of strangers... even if it was normal for him. The man smiled.

"If you're looking for that big pack of people, then I can show you the way. I saw them down in the deeper part where the lake is." The man offered. Byron picked himself up.

"Thanks! You're a life saver!" Byron beamed. The man and Byron walked along the path, all the while not talking. Byron, feeling awkward, asked a question.

"Say... what are you doing in this forest, Mr...?" The man didn't answer with his name. He simply said with a nostalgic tone,

"I was looking for my son. Looks like he got himself lost." Byron wondered about this.

"Oh... do you need help finding him, mister?" The man shook his head.

"I found him a few minutes ago... oh, and there are your friends, I think." The man tilted his head to point to the opening in the brush. Byron squinted and saw them. All of them were having a nice time. He grinned and turned to the man, who started to walk away.

"You want to join us? I'm sure they wouldn't mind." The man didn't turn around.

"No... but you should cherish these times. They are almost as precious and beautiful as stars." He continued walking as Byron looked on, deciphering his words. As Byron was about to call for him, the man walked under a bare spot where the canopy had a hole. In the shining sun his figure suddenly shone brilliantly as armor flashed on him for a second. Although it was only a second, Byron stood, gaping at the mouth. The man held up his hand and waved as he disappeared into the dark shrub.

"That was... Orion..." He finally met his father face to face. He only knew what Orion had looked like in his armored god-like form. Seeing him, in normal attire no less, left an impact on the young warrior. He smiled. "Nice to see you too, Dad." He turned to the opening and headed out with a jog.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting guys!" He shouted. He was met with dozens of applauds and a few patronizing glares for being late. But he loved every minute of it. "Now, let's get the real party rolling!"

************************************************** ********************

"This place is great... although, I could have done without having the crap scared out of me my first time here." Kai chuckled. As expected, the Galaxy rangers got a taste of the "amazon shock treatment" as the strider rangers called it a few weeks ago.

"Yeah, you get used to it after a while." Commented Byron who was one of the first to get her special brand of surprise entrances.

"Man, I was just walking through and BAM, she was hanging upside down right in front of me." Leo said.

"Only upside down? She was standing RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME and I couldn't see or hear her coming." Joked Hannah.

"She snuck up behind me." James grumbled.

"Me, too." Jun replied. "Made me run into a tree and I was seeing 5 of everything."

Byron felt special. "I was the first. She knocked me down and was about to tear out my innards if she didn't recognize me when she did."

"Wasn't that the day you found that Orange disc?" Karone asked.

"Ah... yes. I don't think we should bring that up." Byron brushed it aside. Karone smirked. If it hadn't been for that day, the fates wouldn't have set things up for them to be married today.

"So, I hear you're back in the archeology department, Jun." Kai said. "How did you like your taste of the top?"

Jun made a face of distaste. "Leo can have it. You have any idea what it's like doing all that paperwork? And to top it off, the hours are ridiculous. I know why Mike was always in the Tower from 6 to 12 everyday. Jeez... Stanton is a slavedriver." He hastily added, "Um... no offense, sir." He said, remembering that he was in the group.

"Nice save, Seiling." Was all the Commander said. He was busy enjoying a nice drink and taking in the scenery. The picnic is under way and everyone was having a wonderful time enjoying the food and scenery when Hannah piped up.

"You know what would be good right now? Some of that fruit in those trees. The kids and I took a field trip last week and we ate some. It was delicious." Hannah said.

"I'll get some!" Helix volunteered. After all, what could happen? Nikolas also stood up.

"Lemme give you a hand."

"Sure. Looks high up to me anyways. Thanks, man." As the two went to the trees, Helix looked at Nikolas.

"Nik, as you've heard, Tacari has made it a habit of scaring the bejeezus out everyone by popping up out of nowhere. She's gotten everyone on the team... except us."

"So I've heard. Why are you bringing this up now?" Nikolas asked.

"Just thought I'd give you a heads up and tell you to keep your eyes peeled for her. She's good." Helix warned with a smile.

"I'll believe it when I see it." As Nikolas climbed the tree, he started picking the fruit and threw it down to Helix who caught it and placed it in baskets. When they were filled, he and Nikolas walked back to the picnic area. For some reason, both turned around to look at the forest they left.

"HA! She didn't get us!" Helix shouted proudly with his back turned to the others.

"I think you're just too paranoid." Nikolas shrugged.

"Yeah... I guess you're right." Helix smirked. Both guys smiled and turned around to find...

**"BOO!"**

"AAAAAAHHH!" Helix shouted. The shock caused him to drop the filled basket... directly on his foot. "YOUCH! SON OF A-" He yelled as he grabbed his foot and hopped. Everyone laughed at the gold ranger's misfortune and were thankful there were no kids around.

"Yaaaaaagggh!" Nik stumbled back in surprise. "A-ahem... you didn't surprise me... at all." He denied as he tried to act dignified.

"Then why is there a wet spot on your pants?" Tacari smirked as Nik blushed.

"I knew I should've gone after pink first." Nikolas grumbled. Then something happened that would shock EVERYONE.

"I believe the correct term is... GOTCHA!" Then... she laughed. Everything froze. James, almost comically, let the burger in his hand slide out of his hand.

"Did-"  
"she-"  
"just-"  
"LAUGH?"

"I believe she did." Commander Stanton said with a smile.

**"And she made a JOKE! THE APOCALYPSE REALLY IS UPON US!"** Byron joked as he pretended to faint... badly. This is when the older version of the cabbit and two-tailed fox licked Byron's face, appearing with the same stealth as their wily amazon friend. Clearly someone's been giving lessons.

"Whoa, whoa there! You're both nearly twice my size now!" Byron giggled as the fox and cabbit started to lick him affectionately. "Ahhh! Tacari, call off your mad beasts!" He joked. Tacari looked towards the former red ranger and on her face, was a bright smile.

"They like you. I don't think there's anything on this planet that doesn't like you, to be honest." She smirked.

"Oh, I wouldn't go that far." Chuckled Byron. "I just have an agreeable personality, I guess." The amazon smirked at the young man with the pure soul. Helix took this time to address one more loose end.

"So, when are you and James gonna admit it?" Helix asked.

"Admit... what exactly, Helix?" James wondered aloud. Helix smirked at the two.

"Oh, come on! We all see it."

"Tacari, you see anything?" James asked seriously.

"Besides a certain blonde asking to be neutered... not really." She said looking at Helix.

"Heh, at least you guys have toned down the threats. A few months ago, James would've socked me in the jaw and Tacari probably would've pelted me with a boulder or something." Helix reasoned. Karone watched the two and shook her head.

"Oh, leave them alone. If they don't wanna admit they like each other, they don't have to. Although... it's as plain as the nose on my face."

"Byron... I'm going to kill you." James clenched his fist, ready to strangle the brunette.

"What'd I do?" Byron asked innocently.

"Your girl is just as irritating as you are."

"What? She's telling the truth." Byron grinned. "Look at the facts. You were the first one to spend the day with her in the jungle and didn't get killed. And you were the first one to meet the little ones."

"AHA!" Jun shouted. "So something DID happen that day!"

Hannah piped up. "Oh, and let's not forget his 'TACARIIIII!' rescue of love back in the underground temple." She said with a tease.

"Um... she was chained to an altar if you forgot, Hannah!" James protested. "And nearly killed for her heart!"

"Dude, you pretty much confessed everything when we were back on Celeste's star... or do you not remember that conversation before we rescued her?" Byron took his own turn to smirk.

"What conversation?" Tacari asked. Now she was interested.

"IT'S NOTHING! Nope, nada. Nothing to see here!" James wrapped his arm around Byron neck. "You may have cheated death once, but I don't think you'll do it twice!"

"Leave him alone. I want to know what was said." Tacari insisited.

"Wwweeeellllll..." Began Byron. James held his head in embarrassment. "He said that at first he couldn't stand your guts, but it grew into a blossoming romance!"

**"THAT IS NOT WHAT I SAID!"** James snapped.

"Not in so many words, anyway." Byron added at the end.

"What was said... exactly?" The jungle warrior didn't want to admit it, but she was growing very interested in what the blue ranger was feeling before her rescue. The animals there looked at their amazon friend and the first human they met and tilted their heads. Nik offered his hand.

"Verbatim, I believe he said 'You know... when we first met her, I thought to myself, 'Man, this is a chick I'll never like.' I never thought of it much, but I guess as the days went on and we got to know her better... let's just say this is my fight and I plan to rescue her with my bare hands.' ...Or something to that effect."

Jun gaped. "That's... one good memory."

"I'll say. Wish I had that when I studied for my degree." Hannah replied. When Tacari heard those words, she had a look of surprise, but only in her eyes; she kept her face straight. Nikolas bowed.

"I only remembered them because he was so... passionate when he said it."

The amazon averted her gaze from the others as she spoke.

"It's just mutual respect between warriors." Tacari said. She, too, had blossoming feelings for the blue ranger, though she'd never outright admit it. "He knew we needed everyone to win."

"Leave it to Tacari to turn it from romantic into something pragmatic." Sighed Jun.

"Yeah... I don't think there's any hope for those two. What do you two think?" She asked the not so little ones. The fox and cabbit shook their heads and sighed in their own animal way. The fox put a paw over his eyes in shame while the cabbit's ears flopped over his golden orbs. James turned away. This was turning out to be a fiasco.

"I think... I'm going to go take a walk." He turned to leave and was about to pass Tacari. Jun smirked and lifted his finger up a bit. Cupid needed a bit of help and he would use his powers to give him a hand. A bit of root came up and tripped James as he passed Tacari, making him fall on top of the warrior. But that wasn't the main attraction of the fall.

"Oh, my..."

"You were saying, James?" Giggled Helix as he restrained himself from busting a gut. There, on the ground, was James and Tacari. Their lips met in such a quick manner that no one could say if they even knew they were touching until someone mentioned it. The two separated and sat up to look at each other. Both had shocked looks on their faces as everyone waited to see what would happen next.

"That was..." Tacari began.

"... magical?" James offered. If the color of beets were red, James must have looked mighty sunburned with how red he was. Tacari didn't answer. Not with words anyway. What happened next would be the surprise of the millennium. She brought her hand to rest on his neck, gently pulled him in and laid a soft kiss on his lips. That got everyone cheering loudly, including her pets.

"OH, HELL YEAH! Hey, Jun, you owe me ten bucks!" Called Helix. Jun nodded, himself too happy to care.

"It was worth every penny." The green ranger chuckled.

"Alright! Finally!" Hannah giggled.

"HALLELUJAH!" Byron grinned stupidly.

"About time." Celeste smirked. Tacari broke the kiss and smirked at James.

"'Magical' doesn't begin to describe it." She winked.

************************************************** ********************

_WOW! I think THIS is where I'd say... "and they all lived happily ever after". Either that or "Hell's officially frozen over". XD Well, guys, I hope you had as much fun throughout this journey as we had, even if it was dramatic and very painful, as wars always are. Here's to a bright future!_

~With Love, Byron. 

**POWER RANGERS GALAXY STRIDERS  
END**


End file.
